The Sword of Luchana

The Sword of Luchana is the first full-length biography of Baldomero Espartero, the most important figure in Spain’s modern history.

Adrian Shubert is a University Professor in the Department of History at York University.

"This is a thorough biography of the most influential general in nineteenth-century Spanish politics. An early mixture of charismatic leadership and populism, General Espartero embodied both patriotic feelings and defense of the constitutional monarchy against absolutism."

Antonio Cazorla-Sánchez, Professor of History, Trent University:

"With this book, Adrian Shubert revendicates not only the figure of Baldomero Espartero but also the often misunderstood and neglected, especially in the English-speaking world, image of nineteenth-century Spain. This is a true tour de force of an ambitious, restless, and always original historian."

Pamela Radcliff, Professor and Chair of the Department of History, University of California, San Diego:

"Adrian Shubert’s historical biography of the enigmatic figure of General Espartero is an innovative and sweeping re-telling of Spain’s tumultuous nineteenth century, told from the perspective of Spain’s first public celebrity and, equally important, that of his impressive wife. Shubert builds on revisionist nineteenth-century historiography about liberalism, nationalization, and gender to weave a relevant and compelling story of a life and a time worth remembering."