Relations between Western nations and their colonial subjects changed dramatically in the second half of the twentieth century. As nearly all of the West's colonies gained their independence by 1975, attitudes toward colonialism in the West also changed, and terms such as empire and colonialism, once used with pride, became strongly negative. While colonialism has become discredited, precisely when or how that happened remains unclear. This book explores changing Western attitudes toward colonialism and decolonization by analyzing American, British, and French popular cinema and its reception from 1960 to 1973.

Relations between Western nations and their colonial subjects changed dramatically in the second half of the twentieth century. As nearly all of the West's colonies gained their independence by 1975, attitudes toward colonialism in the West also changed, and terms such as empire and colonialism, once used with pride, became strongly negative. While colonialism has become discredited, precisely when or how that happened remains unclear. This book explores changing Western attitudes toward colonialism and decolonization by analyzing American, British, and French popular cinema and its reception from 1960 to 1973.

Although there is now a great deal of literature on the concept of public opinion in the 18th century France, it is almost entirely devoted to the pre-revolutionary years. No book has tackled the concept of public opinion in the French Revolution itself. To Speak for the People is a lucid and innovative study that finally fills this gap. Historian Jon Cowans adds a strong and genuinely original voice to the historical debate over the problem of legitimacy during the Revolution drawing on the works of such luminaries as Jürgen Habermas, Keith Baker, François Furet, and Nancy Fraser. He then examines the uses of terms such as "public opinion," 'the public," and "the people" in political debates during the Revolution and analyses those terms' changing meaning and the role they played in attempts to secure political authority. While shedding new light on the Revolution itself, the book raises broader issues by addressing the problem of legitimacy that has haunted all revolutionary and democratic governments throughout the modern period.

Although there is now a great deal of literature on the concept of public opinion in the 18th century France, it is almost entirely devoted to the pre-revolutionary years. No book has tackled the concept of public opinion in the French Revolution itself. To Speak for the People is a lucid and innovative study that finally fills this gap. Historian Jon Cowans adds a strong and genuinely original voice to the historical debate over the problem of legitimacy during the Revolution drawing on the works of such luminaries as Jürgen Habermas, Keith Baker, François Furet, and Nancy Fraser. He then examines the uses of terms such as "public opinion," 'the public," and "the people" in political debates during the Revolution and analyzes those terms' changing meaning and the role they played in attempts to secure political authority. While shedding new light on the Revolution itself, the book raises broader issues by addressing the problem of legitimacy that has haunted all revolutionary and democratic governments throughout the modern period.

Spain as a political entity can be traced to the joining of the two largest Iberian kingdoms through the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in 1469. Over the course of the next centuries, Spain rose to European dominance, presided over the world's largest empire, and saw its power and wealth decline until it was finally conquered and occupied by Napoleon in the early nineteenth century. Early Modern Spain: A Documentary History, the first broad-ranging collection in English of writings from the entire period from 1469 to the end of the eighteenth century, comprises 61 documents carefully selected and introduced by Jon Cowans. Beginning with the marriage contract of Ferdinand and Isabella, the volume unveils the rich and turbulent history of early modern Spain through contemporary writings, including documents on the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, a narrative of the conquest of Mexico, accounts of the Inquisition, a profile of King Philip II, a cleric's primer on "the perfect wife," a sermon on the defeat of the "Invincible Armada" in 1588, reports of a bread riot in Seville, a royal investigation of the painter Velazquez, Benito Feijoo's "defense of women" of 1737, a 1790 denunciation of bullfighting, and Charles IV's declaration of war on revolutionary France in 1793. Covering political, cultural, social, and economic history, Early Modern Spain: A Documentary History provides a valuable opportunity to explore the history of Spain through primary sources, revealing the problems and experiences of Spain's empire, tensions among ethnic groups and across regions, the place of women and minorities in Spanish society, and the outlooks and roles of Spanish artists.

Modern Spain A Documentary History Edited by Jon Cowans "These books will prove to be immediately useful to anyone interested in Spanish history and culture."--"Virginia Quarterly Review" While the Civil War of 1936-39 dominated Spain's twentieth-century history, the country's fateful and bloody division into left and right had its roots in the events of the Napoleonic era. In Modern Spain: A Documentary History, the first broad-ranging collection in English of writings from this entire period, Jon Cowans presents 76 documents to trace the history of Spain as it struggled for political and social stability and justice through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Beginning with Napoleon's occupation of Spain in 1808, the selections include decrees of the liberal Cadiz Cortes of 1810-14, an 1841 plea for the revival of the Catalan culture and language, an 1873 anarchist manifesto, an 1892 argument for the education of women, a Basque nationalist's 1895 diatribe against Spaniards, Jose Ortega y Gasset's Invertebrate Spain, General Francisco Franco's 1936 manifesto and his 1940 letter to Hitler, the Spanish bishops' 1950 press release on immorality and indecency in the mass media, King Juan Carlos's speech on the attempted coup d'etat of 1981, and a 1999 report by SOS Racismo on immigration and xenophobia in contemporary Spain. Covering political, cultural, social, and economic history, Modern Spain: A Documentary History provides a valuable opportunity to explore the history of Spain through primary sources from the Second Republic, the Civil War, and the Franco dictatorship, as well as from the period of Spain's profound transformation following the ascension of King Juan Carlos in 1975. Jon Cowans is Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University, Newark. He is the editor of the companion volume "Early Modern Spain: A Documentary History," also available from the University of Pennsylvania Press. 2003 320 pages 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 ISBN 978-0-8122-3717-7 Cloth $69.95s 45.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-1846-6 Paper $24.95s 16.50 World Rights History Short copy: "Immediately useful to anyone interested in Spanish history and culture."--"Virginia Quarterly Review"