Pío Moa

Luis Pío Moa Rodríguez (Vigo, 1948) is a Spanish writer and journalist, in particular on Spanish Civil War and the Second Republic. He lacks an academic degree. [ [http://www.libertaddigital.com/index.php?action=desaopi&cpn=34238 ¿Qué es un historiador?] , Pío Moa, "Libertad Digital", November 6, 2006.]

Former anti Francoist activist, in his youth he was a militant of the Spanish Communist Party and in the maoist terrorist group GRAPO. After the Spanish transition to democracy his opinions evolved towards increasingly conservative positions, and he now is an author of books about Spain's twentieth century, the Spanish Civil War, the Second Republic and Franco's dictatorship. He has written as well essays on feminism, marxism, current Spanish politics and an autobiographical book about his experiences in the terrorist group GRAPO. In his books he criticizes strongly Franco's democratic, socialist and nationalist rivals. His works have been rejected as revisionist propaganda. His books are strongly critisized by historians such as Paul Preston, Alberto Reig Tapia, Javier Tusell, Justo Serna, Mercedes Yusta, Santos Juliá or Enrique Moradiellos. Historian Stanley G. Payne has repeatedly praised the work of Pio Moa.

He is highly controversial, and his books are usually among the lists of best-sellers within Spain. He has been accused of homophobia by civil rights groups [ [http://www.jerelesgay.org/el-obispado-de-jerez-abre-sus-puertas-a-pio-moa/ El obispado de Jerez abre sus puertas a Pío Moa] , JereLesGay, asociación de lesbianas, gays, transexuales y bisexuales de Jerez, March 30, 2008.] and of being a defendant of Francoism. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article/0,2763,940967,00.html#article_continue Pro-Franco book a bestseller in Spain] , "The Guardian", April 22, 2003.] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/nov/14/books.spain Pro-Franco history tops bestseller list] , "The Guardian", November 14, 2005.] In an interview in 2008 he openly refused to condemn the era of Franco's dictatorship. [ [http://www.lanacion.es/?p=3728#more-3728 Pio Moa: “No condeno el franquismo”] , "La Nación", April 17, 2008.] However, he declares in his books that he does not defend the dictatorship, but rather criticizes his rivals.Fact|date=March 2008

His main books are "Los orígenes de la guerra civil española" (The origins of the Spanish Civil War) , "Los mitos de la Guerra Civil" (Myths of the Civil War), "La sociedad homosexual y otros ensayos" (Homosexual society and other essays) or "Años de hierro. España en la posguerra. 1939-1945" (Iron years, this one on the period 1939-1945 in Spain and Europe).

Biography

Born in Galicia, he was a founding member of GRAPO. He was expelled in 1977. He narrated his experiences as a GRAPO activist in the book "De un tiempo y de un país, La izquierda violenta (1968-1978)" (About a time and a country. The violent left 1968-1978).

He has directed magazines "Tanteos" (1988-1990), thought, and "Ayeres" (1991-1993), of history. He was librarian of the Ateneo de Madrid, which belonged Board of Directors for three years.

After this he turned to conservatism and become an outspoken critic of the Spanish political left which he accusses of being the main cause of the Spanish Civil War. [ [http://www.libertaddigital.com/index.php?action=desaopi&cpn=35565 En cuanto a mis tesis...] , Pío Moa, "Libertad Digital", January 25, 2007.] Currently he writes opinion pieces in the on-line diary Libertad Digital and El Economista.

References