The Frenchman Juan de Grimaldi was instrumental in the development of the Spanish theatre in the 1820s and 30s, at a time when censorship, repression, and economic chaos had left it in a state of stagnation. As impresario and stage director, he trained actors in the new style of declamation, made physical changes in sets and lighting, translated recent French plays into Spanish, and encouraged the writing of original Spanish plays. His own magical comedy, La Pata de Cabra (1829), was outstandingly successful. Grimaldi was also a wealthy businessman and newspaper editor, and the patron of many important Spanish Romantic writers. He was active in politics, vigorously defending the moderate policies of the Queen Regent, María Cristina, and of Prime Minister Ramón de Nerváez. Even after his return to Paris, Grimaldi continued to work secretly as an agent of the Spanish government. Based on original archival materials, this is the first in-depth study of Grimaldi's involvement in the literary and political progress of nineteenth-century Spain.

"In short, this is a book of marvellous variety, which paints a picture of a multi-faceted individual who was deeply involved with Spanish cultural life, and who moved in the highest diplomatic and political circles. It is the result of the author's painstaking and original research of archive material....At the same time, it is written in a style which brings alive a neglected period in the Spanish theatre, and gives a fascinating account of the political intrigues in which his subject was involved." David George, Theatre Research International

"a 'must have' for anyone interested in this extraordinary group of organisms...the stress on the importance of insects in the daily life of the planet is one of the book's many strengths... a joy simply to browse, not only because of the high standard of the images... but also because of the discoveries to be made on every page..." BBC Wildlife magazine

"There are a number of good entomology books on the market. Few, however, have integrated the living and fossil record as seamlessly as David Grimaldi and Michael Engel's Evolution of the Insects. None, moreover, has combined this integration with so much student-friendly text and such a wealth of illustrations (more than 900)." Science