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Assaying the turbulent history and uncertain future of Gibraltar.

Throughout its recorded history, “the Rock” has dwelled in the Atlantic world as much as the Mediterranean, a pillar of Hercules closely tied to Spain and Morocco but distinct from both. Since the Anglo-Dutch appropriation of Gibraltar in 1704, which separated the peninsular colony from Spain, there have been many accommodations between London and Madrid but no resolution of dominion. Gibraltarians, while prizing their British citizenship, nonetheless regard their land as sovereign, neither to be given away or taken. “Most of the scholarship on Gibraltarian communal identity has concentrated on the ways the people of Gibraltar have distinguished themselves from the Spanish,” writes historian Plank. “[But] equally important distinctions…continue to be drawn between Gibraltarians as Europeans and the inhabitants of the non-European world.” He relates how Gibraltar became an imagined bulwark of European Christendom following Spain's 1492-1614 expulsions of Muslims and Jews, then how the gradual reintegration of those peoples was accomplished, despite persistent social, cultural, and religious divisions. He also charts how the fortress, its town, and immediate region have experienced volatile military, economic, and social fortunes through the centuries. Plank weaves first-hand accounts, archaeological findings, and recently augmented primary sources into a panoramic tapestry moving from Neanderthal times through various incursions, two world wars, the fall of the British Empire, the 1969-1982 Spanish blockade, formation of the European Union, and Gibraltar’s ascent as a locus of offshore international finance. But it’s also a maritime history of the Strait of Gibraltar and a chronicle of the shifting political sands of North Africa and Gibraltar’s role in them. It’s a top-drawer narrative, rich with detail and pivotal personalities.

Gibraltar emerges as a geographically small but significant player in global affairs.