A People Betrayed by Paul Preson. It details a long story of Spain and it’s politics from around the time of the Spanish-American War and until the fall of Franco I believe. The lead up to the civil war is incredibly long and detailed, and I think it’s about 300 pages before you even get to the civil war, and then 20 pages of war, before it goes deep into post-war politics under Franco. I’m not even halfway and it’s really good, albeit it’s REALLY fucking detailed, and it makes you hate everyone that has ever been a right winger with a burning passion, if you don’t already.
Edit: Should probably add, this book was recommended highly on GenZedong back when that sub was still pretty active, and it was recommended with the caveat that the author isn’t a socialist or a marxist, but he is still really good at understanding how structural contradictions drive society. Apparently the author isn’t all too charitable to the Spanish socialist movement, but all I’ve seen so far is the fact that he blames the Republican’s own infighting for the poor performance of the left/center in the civil war. Which isn’t too much of a stretch to argue, I would say.
Isn’t that what happened with Meloni in Italy? She was considered an unrepentant fascist and right winger, then got elected and suddenly she is just “right leaning” because she changed her tune on NATO and Ukraine.