What is the best general history of the

[shadowed by the secret police]

According to Chomsky, in his book Chomsky on Anarchism (in the end notes of the Chapter entitled "Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship"), the best source available is Pierre Broue and Emile Temime's study -----
The War and Revolution in Spain

[coda]

----------------------

[Pawn Power]

The Spanish Anarchists: The Heroic Years 1868-1936 (http://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Anarchists-Heroic-Years-1868-1936/dp/187317604X/sr=8-1/qid=1168122353/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1618969-2098339?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Bookchin is incredibly detailed. It is well written and backed with facts and such but because of the detail and how I read it (in intervals), I didn't retain as much as I would have liked.

But if you want a detailed factual account-this is it.

[Black Dagger]

Most histories of the spanish civil war are general histories, if by that term you mean that deal primarily with the 'big' events, groups, battles etc. like,

Red Years, Black Years: A Political History of Spanish Anarchism, 1911-1937 by Robert W. Kern (1978)

&

The Spanish Civil War: Revolution and Counterrevolution by Burnett Bolloten (1987)

But if you want something a little different, that moves beyond just outlining the history of the CNT/FAI, i strongly suggest reading Martha Ackelsberg’s Free Women of Spain (1991), very interesting with a lot of content you just cant find in any of the other liberal or popular anarchist histories of the period.

Also, check out this essay, by Noam Chomsky ‘Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship’ in American Power and the New Mandarins. New York: Random House, 1967.

Available online at:
http://question-everything.mahost.org/Arch...omskyspain.html (http://question-everything.mahost.org/Archive/chomskyspain.html)

Interesting analysis of Spanish Civil War history (specifically liberal histories of the period), definately worth checking out!

[Delta]

If you want a general overview that doesn't necessarily focus on the revolution Antony Beevor's The Battle for Spain is pretty detailed. Otherwise, Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is good. I've got Bookchin's book on my shelf but haven't had time to read it yet.