Helen Graham here brings together leading historians of international renown to examine 20th-century Spain in light of Franco's dictatorship and its legacy. Interrogating Francoism uses a three-part structure to look at the old regime, the civil war and the forging of Francoism; the nature of Franco's dictatorship; and the 'history wars' that have since taken place over his legacy. Social, political, economic and cultural historical approaches are integrated throughout and 'top down' political analysis is incorporated along with 'bottom up' social perspectives. The book places Spain and Francoism in comparative European context and explores the relationship between the historical debates and present-day political and ideological controversies in Spain. In part a tribute to Paul Preston, the foremost historian of contemporary Spain today, Interrogating Francoism includes an interview with Professor Preston and a comprehensive bibliography of his work, as well as extensive further readings in English. It is a crucial volume for all students of 20th-century Spain. This compelling volume is worthy of Paul Preston's four decades of groundbreaking historical research on twentieth-century Spain. The contributors' essays present significant new work on topics as wide-ranging as the role of the Catholic Church and the persistence of Francoist patterns of thought and behavior long after the dictator's death. More important, this book underscores--as Preston has for forty years--three important insights: that Spain's history cannot be understood separate from its European context; that, conversely, historians of Europe cannot relegate Spain to the margins of their narrative; and, finally, that a proper understanding of the way in which the political and cultural tensions of the 1930s played out in Spain during the Civil War and the Franco dictatorship continues to have great relevance as Europe is facing one of its most challenging moments in recent history.