Juan Carlos: Steering Spain from Dictatorship to Democracy

The biography delves into the complexities of Juan Carlos's life, tracing his transformation from a boy groomed under Franco's authoritarian regime to a key figure in Spain's democratic transition. Paul Preston examines the king's fraught relationship with his father and his crucial role in establishing parliamentary democracy after Franco's death. This narrative not only chronicles the monarch's personal journey but also serves as a broader history of modern Spain, illuminating the intricate processes involved in the emergence of democracies.