“This is a ground-breaking work by one of Spain’s foremost contemporary historians. It is based on extensive original research, which has uncovered material of clear international significance. “(Kirsty Hooper)

Defying the clichés, Ángel Viñas takes a fresh look at the origins of an uprising that became a civil war. To do so he uses new evidence and a rigorously critical historical approach. Firstly he throws new light on Franco's active participation in the conspiracy from the Canaries.
No less fascinating is his analysis of how the civilian strand of the conspiracy affected the international scene, especially its success in turning Britain against the Spanish  Republic, which he follows through a detailed exploration of British secret service reports. They knew, through the interception of Comintern messages, that there was no plan for a Communist revolution in Spain. This was how the Republic was slandered and left to fall into the hands of its enemies.