The Spanish Civil War was one of the 20th century's most complex and bitter conflicts. What were its causes? And why does it continue to exert a particular fascination today? Halen Graham highlights the domestic and international context of the war, and reveals its origins in the political and cultural anxieties provoked by the rapid modernization of Europe. Using personal narratives, she combines a powerfully human account of the war and its aftermath with a disturbing ethical enquiry into its legacy for the 21st century.