This book looks at the reasons behind the emergence of a Catalan nationalist movement from the late 1880s, one of the most important developments that took place in nineteenth-century Spain, with the 'Catalan question' thereafter never far from the centre of the Spanish political stage.
"This timely book ... offers a constructivist perspective on identity formation. As such, it is a welcome addition to a literature that too often upholds a version of historicist teleology that is found even in the work of noted scholars like Jaume Vicens Vives. ... this comprehensive text is a must-read for students and scholars of Spanish history and for those interested in the roots of political controversies in contemporary Spain." (Scott Eastman, Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies, Vol. 41 (1), 2016)