Book Description
Following her defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898, Spain shifted her colonial focus to her Protectorate in northern Morocco. When Spanish conscripts began to fight and to die by the thousands, political fallout forced the government to create a new unit of professional soldiers. This unit would serve the dual function of providing fighting men for Moroccan service, while sparing the lives of conscripted men. Under its founder, Jose Millan Astray, and his deputy, Francisco Franco, the Spanish Foreign Legion would quickly become the spearhead for Spain's army in Africa. This is the story of the creation, organization, and combat role of the Legion in its formative years from 1919 to 1927. Based upon archival sources in Madrid, Segovia, and Ceuta, this is the first and most complete history in English or Spanish of the early years of the Spanish Foreign Legion. The unit was instrumental in crushing Abd-el-Krim's rebellion against Spanish colonial authority. When the Riffians annihilated the army of General Silvestre at Annual in 1921 and were poised to attack the Spanish enclave of Melilla, it was the arrival of the Legion that pacified its panic-stricken citizens. The force would be in the vanguard of all major offensives undertaken in recapturing the territory lost in 1921, and its amphibious landing at Alhucemas Bay in 1925 marked the beginning of the end for the Rif Rebellion.
Customer Reviews:
Splendid Scholarship.......2006-10-24
Dr. Alvarez made unprecedented use of orignal archival sources to chronicle the exploits of the Spanish Foreign Legion in the Riff.
His detailed analysis will be of particular interest to students of counterinsurgency operations and scholars with an interest in the region.
a solid work .......2004-10-25
Part unit history and part campaign account, this is a solid, if uninspiring work. But it's a welcome addition if only because an English-language history of the Spanish Foreign Legion has been long overdue. Spain's campaigns in Morocco are rarely mentioned in the literature on African colonial conflicts. Why? It's not as if Spain was a newcomer to Africa: the city of Ceuta in Morocco had been a Spanish possession since the 16th century.
Francisco Franco, who began his military career in the Legion, emerges as a dour, serious figure dedicated to the task at hand. Those interested in the Spanish Civil War, especially fans of Nationalist Spain, will enjoy his portrait here, and perhaps understand how such a man achieved so much. Franco's alleged involvement in the plot to overthrow the "wet" Primo de Rivera in 1923, described here, foreshadowed the events of 1936.
Incidentally, readers of Christopher Balfour's recent work, The Deadly Embrace, marketed as an expose of Spain's use of poison gas against the Riffian tribesmen, may be interested to note that there are plenty of references to it here. The use of poison gas by Spain may be deplorable, but hardly shocking. Although war can bring out the best in men, it also brings out the worst. Perhaps Spain's decision to resort to gas may seem understandable in light of the atrocities carried out by the Riffian insurgents against Spanish civilians, particularly at towns like Nador (pp.51-52).
The Spanish are a proud, civilized people with remarkable achievements to their name, of which the Reconquista and the Conquest of the New World are just two examples. The West owes Spain a considerable debt of gratitude. Although the military reputation of Spain has suffered much in the last century, the Legion, as one of the world's elite forces, is an apt reminder of the former grandeur. Viva La Legion!
El Tercio.......2002-03-05
Excellent book about the first years of the Spanish Foreign Legion, also known as El Tercio (for Spanish infantry units which ruled European battlefields in the XVI and XVII centuries). It catches the spirit of the first Banderas (batallions), which were the fer de lance of the Spanish army in the Spanish Maroc Protectorate in the first quarter of the XX century. Afterwards, it took an active part in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), in the Russian front in the Second World War, where it fought together with the Wermacht, as well as in the Spanish Sahara in the late fifties.
Currently, and since Spain does not have colonies any more, the Spanish Foreign Legion is deployed in Spain, divided into four Tercios (regiment-type units) stationed in Ceuta, Melilla (two Spanish cities in northern Africa), Ronda and Almeria. It has seen action in Kosovo, and some companies will be probably sent to Afgahnistan in the near future. Always the crack unit of the Spanish army, the Legion is considered one of the best (if not the best) units within the NATO, comparing favourably with famous units such as the British SAS in field exercises and peace (?) missions in former Yugoslavia.
A VERY DETAILED, METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED HISTORY........2001-05-01
Dr Alverez has written an extremely detailed, comprehensive account of an important unit and era in Spanish military history. This is, by far, the best account of the Spanish Foreign Legion in English, and his worked does much to bring their story to a wider public.
Superb!.......2001-03-03
The little known Spanish Foreign Legion forged a well deserved reputation for valor and professionalism during Spain's early 20th century struggle in North Africa. Unfortunately, very little has been written in English about this extraordinary force. Dr. Alvarez has written a superb account of the formation and early history of the Legion capturing the unique Spanish elan of both its leaders and men. Here was a tough, truly elite military force in the best Spanish tradition. This book fills an important gap in military history which I hope will encourage other historians to explore the role the Legion played later during the Civil war.
Customer Reviews:
Unveiling an Inquisitive Mind.......2005-09-11
Wow! This book really raises some serious, thought-provoking questions regarding female sexual status, and sexual self-determination in Arab-Muslim societies. If I had read this book in the 70s - when it was first written and published - I would have really thought of it as a classic work, but I wasn't born then.
Yet, the book is incredibly outdated. Mernissi does a good job in questioning the general notions (and misconceptions) widespread in her days about religion and the inferiority of women. However, she is out of touch with the contemporary revolutionary ideas that claimed Islam back from the selfish authority of the benighted "Mullahs," who misinterpted Islam out of ignorance, or to fulfill their own political agendas (as still happening in some Muslim countries, wherein Muslim women are subjugated and denied basic rights, such as education.)
Working at the courts in my conservative Gulf country, I witnessed cases in which women "self-determinedly" divorced their husbands, who could not satisfy them sexually. (Lol, awww! I can't believe I'm saying this!)
Even with some historical and Islamic inaccuracies (for instance, many hadiths - Prophetic traditions - quoted by Mernissi have been outruled as inauthentic by contemporary Islamic scholars, thus invalidating many of her arguments and theories), I found this book to be very interesting, and it sheds light - though indirectly, and perhaps unintentionally - on Moroccan history and culture. The chapter on Mothers-in-Law was especially amusing!
It is unfair to criticize the book without taking into consideration the fact that it was written decades ago, and until the latest edition (1985), it must have been current. Instead of complaining about the book and its outdated content, I think I'll just go ahead and write a well-researched book on the same topic!
First book by a Muslim feminine writer.......2004-12-07
When this book originally appeared, I did write a review and got in published in print media. In her work, I was happy to have been introduced for the first time from a pen of (western, muslim, voracious) female writer as to how this gender looked at Islam. I am glad that Fatima continues to provide interesting insights, and she is striving to keep people informed on the subject.
Very compelling, just a bit too academic.......2003-04-13
This book is like going through someone else's medicine cabinet. A fascinating look into the homes and bedrooms of the Middle East from a scholarly feminist perspective. The only problem is, it's a bit too scholarly to be a really quick and concise read. Still, Well worth buying.
A much needed book.......2002-10-23
Excellent book on the female condition in many Muslim societies. ... More books like this need to be written to stimulate debate and hopefully change.
An Excellent Study in Male-Female Relations in the MidEast.......2001-12-07
The topic of male-female dynamics in Muslim society is one of the main issues covered in the book, Beyond the Veil, by Fatima Mernissi. Mernissi covers a wide range of categories, all of which pertain to the female position in a Muslim society. Though much of the data comes from Moroccan society, the general subject matter attempts to describe all Muslim society. This book has two parts, one of which focuses on the traditional view of women, and the second, which focuses on a more modern and changing view of women¡¯s place in society. A fascinating look at women in Muslim society, this book pushes the reader to question previous biases, and take a look at women in a Muslim society from a Muslim perspective.
Beyond the Veil starts out by contrasting views on female sexuality. One view is that of Imman Ghazali, and the other view is that of Sigmund Freud. Ghazali claims that the female sexuality is active, and equal to the male sexuality. Therefore, females need to be restrained in order to prevent fitna (chaos) in the social order. Freud, on the other hand, sees female sexuality as passive, and therefore masochistic. Ironically, both theories attempt to prove the same point: that women, as uncontrollable beings, are destructive to the social order and need to be restrained.
Part two of the book starts out with interviews and data collection from Moroccan society. This information is mostly focused around sexual desegregation. Mernissi¡¯s conclusions basically say that the traditional/older generation is more sexually desegregated, while the more modernized/younger generation encourages desegregation. She also points out that rural societies are more sexually traditional than urban societies.
This book reveals much about Muslim society in a simplified manner. Mernissi draws her writings from various sources, including historical viewpoints, other writers on the topic, and interviews with Muslim women.
Beyond the Veil is not simply a one-dimensional view of male-female dynamics in Muslim society. The book covers all aspects of relationships between males and females, as well as the various positions women can take in a Muslim society. Mernissi allows for the reader to look three-dimensionally at the Muslim society, especially in regards to sexual space boundaries and desegregation, and form his or her personal opinion about the topic. Mernissi makes it somewhat simpler for the reader to understand the goals of the book by outlining the various dimensions as well as writing conclusions that draw from the section but also incorporate other ideas.
The objective of this book, explaining male-female dynamics in Muslim society, was quite clear and the writings of Mernissi certainly operationalized that objective. A non-fiction book that relied heavily on breakdowns of various interviews, Beyond the Veil, was more analytic than descriptive. However, this was an extremely effective way of scrutinizing the subject at hand. The information provided in the book would be particularly significant to those who are not familiar with Muslim society and wish to learn more about the ways in which males and females interact in this society.
Beyond the Veil explained many things to me, including the reasons behind female desegregation in Muslim society. Mernissi is thorough in her dissertation of male-female dynamics, and encourages the reader to form his or her own opinions about the topic. Beyond the Veil is a captivating look at the past, present, and future positions of women in a deeply complex Muslim society.
Amazon.com
At one time, Lydia and Christopher were lovers as well as travel companions; now they are merely fellow travelers. While on a trip to Morocco, Lydia notices a small mark on her hand which begins to grow and spread in thin, tattooed lines that only she can see. Eventually, the marks reveal themselves to be a detailed map of an unknown land, and Lydia begins to understand that these marks, invisible to all but herself and a mysterious Moroccan man named Layesh, will lead her on a strange and perilous journey. The Tattooed Map is Lydia's journal of the days and weeks leading up to her disappearance. Each page contains her daily experiences--her growing shock and fear as the map unfolds itself, her deteriorating relationship with Christopher, her conversations with strangers--as well as the memorabilia she collects along the way: maps and postcards, train tickets and postage stamps, lists of books she's reading and souvenirs she's bought--all pasted in the margins of the journal.
When Lydia disappears midway through the journey, her friend Christopher takes up the journal, using it first as a means of recording his search for her and then, increasingly, as a clue to her fate. A combination travelogue, mystery, and ghost story, The Tattooed Map is a mesmerizing, physically beautiful book. Each page is gloriously decorated with the kinds of fascinating flotsam and jetsam that travelers find cluttering their pockets and notebooks at the end of a trip, making The Tattooed Map a book you'll want to return to again and again.
Book Description
"I'm beside myself, I can barely write this the design on my left hand is now extended up my wrist ..."
So deepens the enigma of The Tattooed Map, a richly illustrated and thoroughly captivating first novel by Barbara Hodgson. Somewhere in Northern Africa, an intrepid traveler awakens with a mysterious mark on her hand that soon develops into a detailed, macabre map spreading across her skin. As Lydia's private journal entries unfold complete with fold-out maps, photographs, drawings, and handwritten notes the reader becomes as drawn into the conundrum of the tattooed map as Lydia herself. When Lydia disappears and her friend Christopher takes up her journal to record his search for her, the situation becomes even more puzzling until the book's haunting resolution. In this unique novel, as engrossing to look at as it is to read, Hodgson has crafted a spine-tingling mystery that will make armchair adventurers want to embark upon their own journeys if only they could be sure of their return.
Customer Reviews:
Good read, but very little closure........2005-08-06
As far as graphic novels go, I'd say this was good. However, I would have liked more at the end or a sequel novel.
Take a journey with the Tattooed Map.......2003-04-23
If you are a fan of the Griffin & Sabine series by Nick Bantock, you will probably also be a fan of Barbara Hodgson. In her first book, THE TATTOOED MAP, she weaves a story much like Bantock does. Beautiful drawings, photographs and handwritten notes adorn the margins of Lydia Usher's journal, the book you will find yourself reading.
Lydia and her friend Christopher have travelled together for many years, some distance growing between them during the past several trips. After they arrive in Morroco, Lydia gets what she thinks are flea bites on her hand. Soon however the red markings have formed a tattoo, one that is growing up her arm. The lines form a map, but of where or when Lydia is unsure. And then she vanishes, leaving behind her journal, notes and photos. Christopher is shocked and surprised at her sudden disappearance, but not as surprised as he becomes once he starts to read her journal and look for her.
The Tattooed Map.......2002-02-21
such a pretty book! if you like the gryphon & sabine series for it's art, you'll appreciate this book, too! a must read before you visit morocco, the desciption of scenery and the scrap-book style pictures make the reader want to jump on a plane to northern africa toute suite! the ending of story left me hanging and wishing it would continue, but the excitment of the main part of the tale and the beauty of the book itself makes The Tattooed Map a worthy purchase, especially as a gift for someone who is a gryphon & sabine fan...they'll love it! I do!!
One of my all-time favorite books.......2001-08-24
I loved this book...very strange,creative, exotic and mysterious with beautiful illustrations that give you the feel of Morocco.
Beautifully illustrated but give me more........2001-08-08
Travel to exotic places, always an interesting topic, this book initially read like a travelogue. Lydia, who travels with her one time lover now friend Christopher, has taken on the enjoyable task of keeping a journal. She is a warm personality and eager to befriend the natives who reciprocate by inviting her into their homes. We follow her through the streets as she enlightens us with a refreshing and unusual look at the back alleys of Morocco for Lydia is not only here in the present, but also lost in the past or perhaps not.
After awakening with what she deems to be flea-bites on her hand she finds an intriguing connection to a Moroccan named Layesh. From these spots on her hand a tattoo begins to spread of a map, ornate and only visible to her. There is so much here to work with but I find that the author left me wanting more. Chris finds himself faced with her disappearance and left to decipher the insanity that her journal has become. He picks up pen and paper and attempts to continue the journal finding a strange comfort in putting his words on paper. As Chris begins his journey there is a transition in the works, but is it enough to save this book, that is the question that only the reader can answer. Kelsana 8/8/01
Book Description
This beautiful book uses the ingredients and techniques of Morocan cooking to introduce dishes that are as much fun to make and serve as they are to eat.
Customer Reviews:
Superb cookbook of a great flavorful cuisine.......2006-03-20
This cookbook by Ghillie Basan shows Moroccan cuisine at its best: flavorful dishes which are quite easy to prepare. If you have never tried Moroccan food and like bold flavors, you should really give this cookbook a try. If you have been on holiday in Morocco and you are craving for some of the food you had over there, you will be pleasantly surprised with the quality of these recipes.
Recipes are divided in 6 chapters:
-- mezze & soups (with a recipe for cinnamon-scented chickpea and lentil soup with fennel and honey buns)
-- street food (among other recipes the bus-station kefta with egg and tomato)
-- couscous & tagines (I love this chapter, but will just mention four highlights: casablancan couscous with roasted summer vegetables, couscous with lamb cutlets, harissa and fennel, tagine of spiced kefta with lemon and spices, and (the obligatory but oh so good) tagine of lamb with crunchy country salad (add some almond slivers to make it even better!)
-- roasts, grills & pan-fried dishes (the butternut squash with caramelized pink shallots is amazing, as is the fiery chicken wings with blood oranges)
-- salads & side dishes (lentil salad with red onion and garlic)
-- sweets, pastries & drinks (poached pears in scented honey syrup).
On the opposite side of each recipe there's a beautiful fullpage photo of the dish itself, making browsing the book a mouthwatering experience.
To conclude, I highly recommend this book for anyone: the recipes are relatively easy, and the results stunning.
(Some info on me, to put the review in perspective: I love to cook and would describe my skill level as intermediate. I went to Morocco because I love the food in this particular cookbook --- and although the food in Morocco was great, the food I make at home using the recipes in this book is often even better.)
Modern perfection.......2006-03-02
This book is the rare combination of stunning coffee table pictography and invaluable recipe collection. Every recipe is perfect and restaurant-ready but simple enough to shine at home. Perhpas my favorite cookbook, and definitely in the top 5!
Customer Reviews:
Heavy on history and tradition, light on design........2005-04-07
Don't let yourself be fooled by the title. This isn't really an interior design book at all. It's more of a Moroccan themed photography book, filled with artsy camera angles, photos of random people, and extreme closeup shots of architecture, while also focusing on the history and various exports of Morocco. As a Moroccan sourcebook, it's not half bad. It's very informative and written in a very informal style that's easily digested by the average reader. I really enjoyed reading the historical information and looking at the gorgeous pictures, hence the 4 stars.
However, if you are thinking of picking this up as a resource for Moroccan style interior decorating, I wouldn't recommend this as one of your top picks. There are many other interior decorating books out there which are so much better for that purpose... "Moroccan Style" by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren, "Moroccan Interiors" by Lisa Lovatt-Smith, and "Exotic Style" by Sara Bliss, to name just a few. I picked this up to add to my Moroccan decorating collection, and was pretty disappointed with it as a design book. It hardly focuses on design at all.
There aren't any interior pictures at all of average Moroccan homes. The few interior pictures featured are limited to public buildings such as mosques, historical sites, hotels, and government buildings. Most of the photographs in this book are exterior shots combined with closeup pictures of tilework, grillework, calligraphy, pottery, and textiles. To get a better idea of what I mean, take a look at the back cover of the book. The 6 pictures featured on the back cover of the book give a pretty fair overview of most of the photographic content of this book. The pictures are very lovely, but most of them aren't going to be too terrible helpful as design inspiration.
Incredible pictures, I love it!.......2002-02-12
I bought this book for its colorful, lush photography, high production values, and because I just really wanted it when I saw it. As a book collector, I had to have it. As an artist, I can't walk by it on the shelf without picking it up and looking inside - it's very inspiring. Makes me want to go to Morocco !
Inspirational, I want to go to Morocco..........1997-09-11
The richness of the colors, the incredible patterns for the tiles, the bountiful King's Palmeraie... I was just inspired. Immensily superior to Moroccan Interiors, better photos and no comparison in terms of the tex
Book Description
In the summer of 1716, a Cornish cabin boy named Thomas Pellow and fifty-one of his comrades were captured at sea by Barbary corsairs. Their captors--Ali Hakem and his network of Islamic slave traders--had declared war on the whole of Christendom. Pellow and his shipmates were bought by the tyrannical sultan of Morocco. Drawn from the unpublished letters and manuscripts of Pellow and survivors like him, White Gold is a fascinating glimpse at a time long forgotten by history.
Customer Reviews:
An exciting, educational book.......2007-07-09
This is a very exciting story that is based primarily on the recorded tale of a British individual who was captured from a British ship by Muslim pirates. The individual, Thomas Pellow, was 11 years old and serving as a cabin boy in the early 18th century on a ship captained by his uncle. The ship was captured during a trading voyage and the entire crew (of around 8) was captured, along with the crews from 2 other ships (about 50 captives in total). The British sailors were taken as slaves and received terrible treatment for years, or until they died (as most did). The story of their captivity and abuse is very powerful.
Giles Milton, the writer, uses the story of Pellow as a proxy for the stories of the estimated 1 million european slaves taken by Muslim pirates during that age. While focusing on Pellow, Milton still ventures out to tell additional information about the other slaves during that time, and about the forces that ultimated decided the issue of slavery in that part of the world, at least as far as European slaves went.
Pellow spent 23 years as a slave before he finally escaped and made his way back to England. According to the text, Milton found enough supporting evidence regarding Pellow's story that he believes it to be substantially true. Since I don't have all of his sources, which themselves are based on Pellow's account, I don't buy in 100% to his stories, which I suspect were "pumped up" to support book sales almost 300 years ago. Still even if the story is exaggerated in some detail, we do have enough information to reasonably believe that countless individuals had experiences that were the same or similar to many of his experiences in the book. Also, the background information throughout the book is a great historical primer for those of us who have not studied this segment of history.
I found it frustrating that many of the issues they dealt with 300 years ago are similar to the issues we deal with today from Muslim terrorists. In the book, we would see the King of England send representatives to meet with the Sultan to try to negotiate freedom for the British slaves. Time and time again the Sultan would agree to free the slaves for a price, but then refuse to do so once he had what he wanted. It wasn't until the Western world grew technologically and was able to blow the Muslim ports to pieces that the Muslims finally stopped the practice of capturing European slaves (Whoever said violence never solved anything?). In fairness to the Muslims, it also took violence to get Christian Southerners in the USA to stop the practice of slavery.
Overall, this is a great book that is fascinating reading while being very educational at the same time.
What a Surprise!.......2007-05-27
The story of white slavery has gone virtually untold.........it is an amazing and well written story that is to be found in White Gold......and definitely worth reading.
white European slaves of Islam.......2007-04-16
This book presents a narrative of white Europeans who were enslaved by Islamists, focusing on the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The scholarship is respectable with the author refusing to accept statements unless they are confirmed by Arabic manuscripts from the period. The narrative is as gripping as an action/adventure novel.
The emphasis is mainly restricted to English men, women and children, although the author does occasionally mention Danes, Norwegians, Spanish and Italians and others who were enslaved, as well as American colonials. Later, Americans in the newly formed United States of America were captured. The U. S. government immediately sent warships and marines to the shores of Tripoli; and after that, the Islamists left the Americans alone.
Too bad the United States today has forgotten that early lesson. Now, of course, the Islamists are not using outmoded tactics like pirate ships. They are using immigration, both legal and illegal. For the facts on the rebirth of Islamic imperialism, see While America Sleeps: How Islam, Immigration and Indoctrination Are Destroying America From Within and "While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within."
Historical Account.......2007-03-11
Having heard of this book from friends, I checked it out before purchase as there are nowadays many examples of history being rewritten for what might be termed "politially correct" reasons.
Indeed this book may soon be unavailable due to those reasons. It could be construed that this account of slavery might cause offense to Muslims, though none of the Muslims I know personally would be so offended. But one of the motivations for me to buy this book was the "review" by the (Islamic?) correspondent of the Washington Post, which you kindly reproduce. Viewing this distainful dismissal was for me most revealing and may (I hope) encourage others to make this purchase also.
They will be rewarded by an account of a period of history which is being quietly swept under the carpet and out of sight.
Those that forget history will repit it.......2007-02-25
This a very interesting book about a part of the european history don't well known. In Spain the tourists can see small towers all over the coast for vigilance of "moros" and the little towns were builded in the interior of land by fear to these savages and as Mr Pellow said " horde of fanatics". So after read this book those persons that think that muslim people are similar to white people ( most of the muslim people have black blood )are blinds or fools. Islam is many centuries back to cristian religion and western culture. But sadly every day we find people in western countries that justify all the attrocities of Islam.
Only two commentaries : One is that this book is the story ( very, very interesting, even better that a novel), of the life of Thomas Pellow and the british slaves, just a small part of the white slaves in muslim world and in Morocco. We don't know a lot about the slaves in another muslim countries ( Turkey, Arabia, etc ). Not the story of "...Islam's one million white slaves" as in the title of the book appears.
Another point is that the map of Morocco at the beginning of the book is wrong. It shows as part of Morocco the northern part of western Sahara a old spanish colony, that Morocco occupied by force in the 70's of last century and is waiting a UN referendum for freedom long ago. It's a irony that a book that shows the cruelty of people of morocco and the islam mentality in general, justify this blood occupation. If it's a mistake, I hope that Mr Milton will correct it in next editions.
Anyway a very interesting book.
Average customer rating:
|
Marriage on Trial: A Study of Islamic Family Law Iran and Morocco Compared (Society and Culture in the Modern Middle East)
Ziba Mir-Hosseini
Manufacturer: I B Tauris & Co Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Islamic
| Legal History
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Women's Studies
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Family Relationships
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
| Child Abuse
| Divorce
| Dysfunctional Relationships
| Fatherhood
| General
| Grandparenting
| Motherhood
| Parent & Adult Child
| Siblings
| Stepparenting & Blended Families
| Twins & Multiples
Islamic
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1850436851 |
Book Description
The dilemma of the outsider in an alien society, and the gap in understanding between cultures, recurrent themes of Paul Bowles's writings, are dramatized with brutal honesty in this novel set in Fez, Morocco, during that country's 1954 nationalist uprising. Totally relevant to today's political situation in the Middle East and elsewhere, richly descriptive of its setting, and uncompromising in its characterizations, The Spider's House is perhaps Bowles's best, most beautifully subtle novel.
Customer Reviews:
Exceptional .......2006-11-07
The spider's house, has a very appealing cover, with a equally appealing story. This book surpasses all expectations, and beyond. A historical over view is always illuminating in the backdrop of every conversation, told as if the characters were them selves speaking to the reader or even thinking out loud without any inhibitions.
It's first hand knowledge of the culture, that one can only gain from years of encounters. Paul Bowels, speaks of the Moroccan people as they truly are, the good, the bad, the awful, and their quest for a modern future, that is to bare many flaws.
The French influence, and there cruelty is also vividly detailed, and the reader is left wondering why such history is well forgotten by the new generation. Paul Bowles is not only forgiving but also critical in his judgments regarding the Moroccan people's limited perception of the other.
In all, this book covers the perspective view of every person who is encountered in this book, by that I really mean everyone.
Progress Shmogress.......2006-08-08
Paul Bowles was on a hot streak in the 1950s, and of the 3 novels he wrote between 1949 and 1955 this last one is my hands-down favorite. With each book Bowles seemed to grow more confident in his knowledge of Morocco, and in the gifted teenager Amar he creates his most complete Arab character to date, giving over more of the story to him than to his American hero, the detached expatriate novelist Stenham. The novel is also exciting for the way Bowles managed to map his longstanding concern with the differences between Islam and the modern West onto the explosive political events in Morocco in 1954, when the Moroccan Independence party was fighting a hot terrorist war against the French (sound familiar?)
Bowles sees the Moroccan rebels and the French occupiers as both destroying a traditional Islamic approach to time that enjoys life for the moment and leaves tomorrow to Allah, an attractive alternative to the Western obsession with logic, causality, and progress that keeps us from seeing the present in our frantic rush to the future. Stenham recognizes his own futility in trying to save the old Morocco he loves, and Bowles is more critical here than in some of his earlier writing of his own position as the privileged outsider. In the end, it made sense to me that Amar is a teenager; it's almost as if Bowles wants to keep his charming Moroccans in a state of perpetual adolescence, forever shielded from Coca-Cola, politics, and the secular pleasures of modernity. At the same time, by taking Moroccans on their own terms, sympathizing with their approach to life rather than trying to change it in the name of progress or democracy, he comes closer than I think Americans will be able to for a long, long time to come to understanding the attractions of a very different, and on its own terms very satisfying, approach to life.
Bowles' subtle "Spider's House.".......2004-11-09
I read Paul Bowles' SPIDER'S HOUSE (1954) after first reading his earlier novel, LET IT COME DOWN (1952). In both novels, Bowles insightfully examines the subtle culture gap between East and West. He has drawn the title of his novel from the Koran: "The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! The frailest of all houses is the spider's house, if they but knew," which is also the novel's epigrah.
THE SPIDER'S HOUSE opens in Fez after World War II, just as the French rule in Morocco is about to be challenged by a fierce Nationalist uprising, and the narrative shifts between an American expatriate writer, John Stenham, and an illiterate, Arab youth, Amar. Whereas Stenham, an existentialist, anti-imperialist, is captivated with the aesthetic, "medieval" traditions still alive in the streets of twentieth century Fez--"It did not really matter," to him "whether they worshipped Allah or carburetors," Amar has his own perspective on the use of religion for political gain by Istigal, the Moroccan nationalists movement. It is through the Moslem insights of Amar that Bowles triumphs as a writer. Amar is the real protagonist of the novel. He is something of a stranger in his own culture, with his own understanding of the events unfolding around him, and he believes he has the ability to see into men's hearts. Although Amar's religious faith tells him that the duty of the believer is to fight the unbeliever to the death, when it comes to the use of violence against fellow Moslems for political reasons, he is less certain. Eventually, the paths of Stenham and Amar cross with unexpected results. Now more than fifty years after its publication, without sentimentality, illusions, or blinders, THE SPIDER'S HOUSE remains relevant with its insights into the culture conflicts between East and West.
G. Merritt
The Huckelberry Finn of Islam.......2004-10-14
I strongly recommend this novel, written in 1954,yet totally alive and relevant to the contemporary reader. I was amazed to see Bowles capture the essence of the clash between the Islamic world view and the Western modern view in such a fresh and insightful manner.
The novel is about the final days of the French occupation of Morocco after World War II. The story is told through the eyes of an American expatriat, Stenham, and then through they eyes of a 15 year old Islamic young man. Stenham, a tired and disappointed writer, has seen the false promise of modernism, and thus is sympathetic to the Moslem determinism and process of living life embedded in faith. Amar, the Moroccan youth, also see those members of the Moroccan nationalists movement, Istiglal, who would use religion for political gain.
The story moves from luxury hotels and modest Moslem homes, to street fights and riots, to Islamic ceremonies high in the Moroccan mountains, to the cafes where Europeans gather to experience a world far different from their own, to the lairs of the subversives who plan to drive the French from Islamic lands.
Like Mark Twain's Huckelberry Finn, the world seen through the eyes of youth allows for fresh observations of the familiar world. Amar is the Moslem Huckelberry, trying to make sense of Europeans and countrymen in a struggle for power.
Yet it is the cultural interaction between modernism and Islam that Bowles captures perfectly. Bowles paints a realistic, honest, sympathetic vision of the Islamic world. The image reveals the weaknesses and barreness that modernism brings. I recommend this book strongly, especially in these times of conflict between the Western world and the world of Islam.
the struggle between knowledge and wisdom.......2004-03-08
This is a very moving look at a particular situation but it is also far more. TSH looks at the problem of progress vs the phenomenon of
faith in a way that is both committed and unflinching. As I have come to expect from Bowles, the story is as captivating as it is intelligent.
Book Description
This is the first full-scale study of the work of Clifford Geertz, who is one of the best-known anthropologists in the world today. In a lively and accessible introduction to his work, Fred Inglis situates Geertz's thought in the context of his life and times, reviewing its forty-year range.The book begins with a chapter-long biography, and places Geertz in the anthropological tradition from which he broke so decisively. This break was inspired by the work of Wittgenstein and Kenneth Burke, who provided Geertz with the lead to construct his theory of symbolic action. This theory was vigorously at odds with the dominant idiom of scientistic inquiry in the human sciences, and since then Geertz has led the practice of these sciences in quite a different direction. Geertz's progress is charted in detail by his field work in Java, Bali and Morocco, as well as his work in the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. His two remarkable collections of essays, the Interpretation of Cultures and Local Knowledge, are enthusiastically summarized and criticized. The celebrated and controversial essay on the Balinese cock fight is defended against its critics, and in an extended conclusion, his account of the Balinese Theatre-State is, as Geertz suggests, proposed as a more adequate method for the combined study of culture and politics than the professionals' routine application of heavy-handed concepts such as 'power' and 'status'. This book provides a comprehensive overview of one of the most gripping, lucid and entertaining of contemporary thinkers, and in so doing, makes anthropology once again the popular science. It will be of great interest to anthropologists and to students and scholars of cultural studies.
Books:
- The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings
- The Complete Guide to Doors & Windows (Black & Decker)
- The Complete Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon
- The Concise Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage (Dictionary) (Dictionary)
- The Farmhouse: Classic Homesteads of North America
- The Glass Castle: A Memoir
- The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx
- The Lion Who Had Asthma
- The New Smart Approach to Bath Design (New Smart Approach)
- The New York Apartment Houses of Rosario Candela and James Carpenter
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- How to Practice : The Way to a Meaningful Life
- Women As They Age
- Sing Like the Stars!
- Revising Culture, Reinventing Peace: The Influence of Edward W. Said
- The Intelligent Asset Allocator: How to Build Your Portfolio to Maximize Returns and Minimize Risk
- Where Is Baby's Belly Button
- The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007
- Payroll Records and Procedures
- Survival Math for Marketers
- Death by Deep Dish Pie: A Toadfern Mystery
