The Franco Regime1936-1975 by Stanley Payne tells in great detail the reign that the Spanish endured over a forty-year period. Though this book is not for someone who has a slight interest in the subject, in fact because of its tremendous size, the reader must really want to fully understand the reign of Francisco Franco. Yet this over 600-page account could have probably been conveyed in about 300 pages making the book more available to a larger audience. However, the reading is lightened up by the addition of pictures to it, something not often found in an adult aimed literary work.
This book sticks to the typical American idea that a dictatorship is not a positive thing, because of examples we have seen like Hitler and Castro. Nonetheless this book shows how Franco was not able to rule the entire nation by himself, as dictatorships are often thought of, but with the help of a group of political advisors in charge of different sections of the government. Payne also makes a point in his writing to compare the rule of Franco to that of other rulers in Turkey, Italy, the Balkan States, and France.
Payne also states that the government was not always a dictatorship, but that it started out as a semi-fascist, potentially imperialist regime of 1936-1945. Then converted into a Catholic corporatist 'organic democracy' from 1945-1957. And the End of the Francisco Franco's reign was a developmentalist phase of technocracy and pure authoritarianism from 1957 until 1975.
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Though it is the goal of many historians to remain neutral about all facets of the subject, Payne seems to show a negative bias toward Franco. Although this does not entirely turn the reader against Franco, it could have been written in a more disinterested manner. Nevertheless, it is often important to read about history from a number of different viewpoints to gain a full perspective of the topic. .
Stanley Payne tells the story of Francisco Franco as the powerful authoritarian of Spain for a period of 40 years.
