Preface

A brief word is necessary concerning the orthography used in this book. Wherever a common English equivalent is available for Spanish place names, I have used it: for example, Andalusia instead of Andalucía. In all other cases, I have used the Spanish spelling. It is true that the word Biscay exists in English, but it is normally only used for the Bay of Biscay, not for the Basque province of Vizcaya. I have used Basque and Catalan names only in certain cases. This is purely from the point of view of consistency, and also for the comprehension of English readers. For example, an English reader would probably know the name of Lerida, but would not have the faintest idea about the Catalan name of that city (Lleida). The case of Vitoria is rather special, inasmuch as these days people use both the Spanish Vitoria and the Basque equivalent Gasteiz interchangeably, so I have done the same. 

I am aware of the fact that nowadays many people on the left in Spain prefer to refer to ‘the Spanish state’, instead of Spain. I understand that this is a gesture to the national sensitivities of the Basques and Catalans and other people who do not consider themselves Spanish. It is a natural reaction against the Spanish nationalism of the Franco regime, but for English readers this phrase will seem rather strange. The Spanish state, strictly speaking, refers to the bureaucratic structure – the army, the police, the judiciary, the monarchy and the vast army of functionaries that rule over Spain – that has remained fundamentally unchanged since the days of the dictatorship. When I use the term ‘Spanish state’ in this book I refer to it in this strict, scientific and Marxist sense.

A word of explanation is also required for the use of party names, which occasionally make their appearance in the text. In the Spanish underground nobody ever used their real name. The reason for this is obvious. If you were caught and interrogated by the police, you could never reveal the names of your comrades. For some years after legality was restored, I still did not know the real names of people I had known for some time, which could cause embarrassing situations when one tried to ring up their homes! My own party name was David (although I signed my articles in Nuevo Claridad with the name of Jorge Martínez). Forty years later my close friends and in-laws in Spain still call me by my party name. In the book, where necessary, I include party names in brackets.

In some cases, to respect personal privacy, I have not provided full surnames but only initials, or given false names.