Book Reviews : A History of Spain from the Beginnings to the Present Day. By RAFAEL ALTAMIRA. Translated by Muna Lee from the second Spanish edition. (Toronto, New York and London: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc. 1949. Pp. xxx, 748. $6.75.)

• Published date: 01 December 1950
• Date: 01 December 1950
• Author: W. Harold Dalgliesh
• DOI: 10.1177/106591295000300418
• Subject Matter: Articles

637
It is probable that readers will differ in their reactions to the various
chapters of the book. One chapter, &dquo;Notes on Leprosy,&dquo; seems to the
reviewer quite non-contributory. But the anthropologist and the social
scientist should find stimulation in the author’s comments on such
matters as suicide, prisons, and the psychologies of the Orientals and
the Okinawans.
The orthodox psychoanalyst may object to Dr. Moloney’s statement
that &dquo;the analyst wears a Magic Cloak,&dquo; and specialists in other fields
may find equally controversial statements. Of particular value at the
present time, in the reviewer’s opinion, are two chapters (chaps. vi and xii)
dealing with &dquo;War Neuroses&dquo; and their genesis in the basic social
structure.
Dr. Moloney’s diatribe against &dquo;indiscriminate almsgiving&dquo;
will find a responsive chord in many who work with this problem.
The book is worthwhile. It cannot be gobbled, but justifies slow and
thoughtful digestion. It is certainly provocative and timely.
C. H. HARDIN BRANCH, M. D.
University of Utah.
A History of Spain from the Beginnings to the Present Day. By RAFAEL
ALTAMIRA. Translated by Muna Lee from the second Spanish
edition. (Toronto, New York and London: D. Van Nostrand Com-
pany, Inc. 1949. Pp. xxx, 748. $6.75.)
Altamira is one of Spain’s great historians. He is extremely well
qualified by his academic and juridical experiences to interpret his
homeland to the non-Spanish world. This he has attempted to do in
a brief history which, he tells us, is designed to present the minimum
essentials of Spain’s past necessary for any well educated person. The
prologue indicates that the author has selected his materials to give
a comprehensive survey of the development of the Spanish people
and not a mere outline of their political history. Altamira does deal
with art and literature: he touches on philosophy and science; but it is
political history which provides the framework of his book’s organization...