He studied history at the University of Madrid, where he received his doctorate with an extraordinary prize.

He began his teaching career as a high school professor in Barcelona and Madrid.

After being a professor at the University of Albano (United States) and the University of Valladolid, he obtained the chair of contemporary history at the Complutense University of Madrid, of which he is currently emeritus professor. He is vice president of the Institute of Madrid Studies, integrated into the CSIC.

He directed the magazine Cuadernos de Historia Contemporánea.

Among other positions, he is a member of the Spanish Committee of Historical Sciences and an expert of the University Coordination Council.

He has published numerous history textbooks for secondary and university education, as well as more than a hundred articles and twenty books. His specialty is the history of Madrid in the Contemporary Age.