No war in modern times has inflamed the passions of both ordinary people and intellectuals in the way that the conflict in Spain in 1936 did.

Paul Preston is Príncipe de Asturias Professor of Contemporary Spanish History at the LSE. He has frequently acted as a commentator on Spanish affairs on radio and television and in print in both Britain and Spain. His many books include 'The Politics of Revenge: Fascism and the Military in Twentieth-Century Spain', 'Franco: A Biography', 'Doves of War: Four Women of Spain' and 'Juan Carlos'. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, was made a Comendador de la Orden de Mérito Civil by King Juan Carlos of Spain, and in 2000 was awarded a CBE.