Widely acknowledged as a key figure in Spain''s remarkable transition to democracy following General Franco''s death in 1975, King Juan Carlos consolidated his reputation as a champion of democracy by aborting the attempted military coup of 23 February 1981. This political biography of the Spanish monarch sheds new light on his childhood, the process whereby he became Franco''s successor in 1969, his subsequent contribution to his nation''s democratization, and his role as constitutional monarch since 1978, both at home and abroad.
