Spain [antikvár]

Introduction The famous Spanish writer José Maria Giro-nella says in the preface to his novel The Cypresses Believe in God. "Spain is an unknown country. Experience proves that it is hard to view my country impartially. Even writers of high order succumb to the temptation to adulterate the truth, to treat our customs and our psychology as though everything about them were of a piece, of a single color. Legends and labels pile up: black Spain, inquisitorial Spain, beautiful Spain, tragic Spain, folkloric Spain, unhappy Spain, a projection of Africa into the map of Europe." The present volume, written by the British author Hugh Thomas, contains much useful information and perceptive insights into the character of the people of this storied land. It also presents some observations and judgments on which there will be honest differences of opinion. If this book throws light into dark places and provokes responsible discussion, it will serve our common cause. A realization which I have found helpful in understanding Spain and its polirical traditions is that this ancient land, located on the edge of Europe and associated for several hundred years with North African peoples, was influenced only very slightly by two of the philosophical experiences which are fundamental to the origin of our country and of our way of thinking. I refer to the profound changes in thought which grew out of 18th Century rationalism and the French Revolution. Similarly, the impact of the 19th Century in- dustrial revolution upon Spain's economic and social fabric was not nearly so far-reaching as in other countries of western Europe, in Great Britain or in the United States. fvloreover, Spain was never exposed to the Protestant Reformation, surely one of the most significant upheavals of modern history. Indeed, Spain was the source, the center and the motive power of the Counter Reformation. Finally, it should be remembered, as Mr. Thomas points out, that almost all of Spain was occupied for many centuries by the Moors, with results that persist to the present day. Yet, during the past few years, individual Spaniards and Americans have worked closely together in a fruitful relationship founded on mutual respect and on the larger concept of the defense of the western world against the onslaught of Communist imperialism. There is a magic and a mystery in Spain that challenges our understanding. Spain is a land of stoics and mystics, of poets and painters, of dreamers and realists. The capacity of the noble Spanish people for loyal friendship, their courage, their concept of the dignity of the individual are characteristics that command respect and inspire affection. Unity is the greatest element in our entire arsenal of power. Spain, which has contributed so much to western culture, must be a part of that unity. United, even at this late hour, we can emerge from the dark clouds which are charging down upon us and into the sunlight of a secure peace. John Davis Lodge former U.S. Ambassador to Spain