?This book is important because of the authors as well as the subject--the new democratic Spain in the world context. Politicians, historians, social scientists, journalists, and diplomats, many of whom mold Spanish opinion, present the role Spain should assume in the Western world from their own points of view--often partisan. They discuss this role with reference to the historical and recent Franco legacy, a legacy that differentiates Spain from other West European countries in its relations with the United States, NATO, Spanish America, and North Africa. The reader will perceive some underlying shared perspectives and feelings difficult for foreigners to understand but ones that should not be ignored.?---Juan J. Linz, Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political and Social Science, Yale University