Why Spain Matters

'A fine new history of Spain at a crucial crossroads in its existence' – Jon Lee AndersonFrequently overlooked as just another southern European country, Spain has, in fact, long predicted the future of the West – from the Crusades to the Renaissance, the Discovery of the Americas, World War II, and the recent Occupy Movement. Moreover, without Spain such emblematic Western concepts as rational thought, surgery, ‘modern’ artistic expression, 1984, or the American cowboy would all be missing. But as with Homer’s doomed prophetess, Cassandra, Spain’s predictions are rarely heard, for her prescient gifts are mostly unrecognized – not least by the Spanish themselves, who periodically engage in collective acts of erasing their history in order to forge new national identities. The result is a country which is engaged in perpetual struggle with itself; today she is back in the headlines over an ancient question of whether to remain united or break apart.Yet out of the troubled crucible that is Spain, pure gold often emerges: pioneers including the ‘patron saint of the Internet’ Isidore of Seville; author of the first European novel Ibn Tufayl; Bartolomé de las Casas, the ‘inventor’ of human rights; and artistic giants such as Cervantes, Goya and Picasso.Mixing decades of research with personal anecdote, Why Spain Matters (*) is veteran author Jason Webster’s page-turning story of a hugely influential country from its beginnings to the present day. It is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand Spain, and a complex and changing world.'A delightfully engaging read and a good introduction to Spain's turbulent history' – The Times'A provocative and entertaining trot through the paradoxes of Spanish history' – Literary Review'Illuminating and always provocative... beautifully written and extremely witty' – Paul Preston(*) Published in the UK as Violencia: A New History of Spain