A History of the Maghrib

I worship this guy. Fascinating book on a difficult region with a wonderful approach that is rigorous and well-documented. Dr. Abun-Nasr has my deep appreciation.

This is one of the few books that you can buy on the history of North West Africa that can be read again and again. There is a wealth of information contained in this book which covers (as the title suggests) North West Africa's history from the 7th century Arab conquest until the recent present day. The information contained within the book is concise and straight to the point. The author has obviously spent a great deal of time amassing a wealth of information on North West African history from a variety of Arabic, French and English sources for example, his extensive use of the great historian Wansharisi is of particular benefit when discussing the development of Islamic culture in North West Africa. The book covers the various Islamic dynasties in the Maghrib, the society and culture of the region, the French, Portuguese and Spanish conquests of the region including the colonial period, independence and the nations struggle for self identity. This is a first class book for students of Islamic history or African history and I would strongly recommend the book to University students studying subjects related to the region.

Jamil M. Abun-Nasr's History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period is a finely detailed tapestry which sweeps from the early days of the Al-Moravids in Morocco to the post-colonial regimes in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. While the book is academic in tone, it is so well written as to be accessible to the casual reader, so long as one is willing to come to grips with the intracacies of Maghreban dynastic politics. While I learned more from the first half of the book, which discusses pre-Modern Maghreban history; the second portion covering the modern era was particularly relevant in light of the recent rioting in France. Abun-Nasr vividly describes how the European powers - under the guise of bringing civilization - ruthlessly exploited their North African colonies, and to some degree continue to do so to this day. Although the fruits of their policies were most bitter in Algeria, it is clear that throughout the Maghrib the European powers' short-sighted pursuit of commercial gain had long-term repercussions for everyone involved.