Analysing 100 material objects which helped to shape the Spanish Civil War, this textbook explores one of the seminal events of 20th century through a unique material culture lens. From the plane that carried Francisco Franco to an anarchist newsreel to laxatives excavated in a trench, and from a woman’s death row letter to a recent graphic novel, this highly illustrated text introduces readers to totally new perspectives from which to interpret the events of 1930s Spain and their impact, both in the country itself and the world beyond it.

In engaging self-contained chapters – each inspired by a specific item – a team of historians offer a panoramic overview of the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship to which it gave birth, and the ways the conflict has been remembered since the return to democracy. The result is an innovative and accessible study which not only tells the fascinating story of modern Spain, but also teaches students how to engage fully with primary sources and grounds their understanding of the era by discussing objects that are, in some form or another, often still familiar to us today.