A History of Algeria
Product ID: 51503968
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Covering a period of five hundred years, from the arrival of the Ottomans to the aftermath of the Arab uprisings, James McDougall presents an expansive new account of the modern history of Africa's largest country. Drawing on substantial new scholarship and over a decade of research, McDougall places Algerian society at the centre of the story, tracing the continuities and the resilience of Algeria's people and their cultures through the dramatic changes and crises that have marked the country. Whether examining the emergence of the Ottoman viceroyalty in the early modern Mediterranean, the 130 years of French colonial rule and the revolutionary war of independence, the Third World nation-building of the 1960s and 1970s, or the terrible violence of the 1990s, this book will appeal to a wide variety of readers in African and Middle Eastern history and politics, as well as those concerned with the wider affairs of the Mediterranean. Review: Reference book about the modern history of Algeria - Great book. A very knowledgeable account of the history of Algeria. James McDougall knows what he is talking about. Sometimes a bit terse because the book condenses 5 centuries in a few hundreds of pages. I would have expected more about the Ottoman period. The account of French colonisation is fascinating. The style is heavy at times. Review: Good introduction to the country - This is the standout book in an admittedly sparsely-populated field. The first chapter covers the Ottoman period -- not in great detail, but providing a good general impression of the country in that time. The real meat of the book is in the following few sections, which give a good account of the rise and fall of the French colony. Mcdougall takes care to provide the Algerian as well as French perspectives, without neglecting the other European and Jewish elements which formed major parts of the society. The concluding chapters are more straightforwardly narrative, and conclude, right up to date, with the curious stasis as the country awaits the passing of the old leaders. Mcdougall emphasises throughout the non-state structures in Algerian society which grew up in response to the ecological and social conditions, and which have helped the country to survive its various traumas as well as it has. The prose style is fairly readable: you often get quite far into the sentence before encountering the main verb, but it's certainly not dense academicese. Well worth reading by anyone with an interest in the country.
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| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 44 Reviews |
F**L
Reference book about the modern history of Algeria
Great book. A very knowledgeable account of the history of Algeria. James McDougall knows what he is talking about. Sometimes a bit terse because the book condenses 5 centuries in a few hundreds of pages. I would have expected more about the Ottoman period. The account of French colonisation is fascinating. The style is heavy at times.
H**Y
Good introduction to the country
This is the standout book in an admittedly sparsely-populated field. The first chapter covers the Ottoman period -- not in great detail, but providing a good general impression of the country in that time. The real meat of the book is in the following few sections, which give a good account of the rise and fall of the French colony. Mcdougall takes care to provide the Algerian as well as French perspectives, without neglecting the other European and Jewish elements which formed major parts of the society. The concluding chapters are more straightforwardly narrative, and conclude, right up to date, with the curious stasis as the country awaits the passing of the old leaders. Mcdougall emphasises throughout the non-state structures in Algerian society which grew up in response to the ecological and social conditions, and which have helped the country to survive its various traumas as well as it has. The prose style is fairly readable: you often get quite far into the sentence before encountering the main verb, but it's certainly not dense academicese. Well worth reading by anyone with an interest in the country.
Y**A
Like the Ottoman Empire hopefully I will change my mind ...
Some parts of it are irrelevant for my research but this is subjective and should not influence my review of the book. The Ottoman Empire section is what I have in mind which I will hopefully Change in due course. The book states clearly that A Savage War of Peace by Alistair Horne is the best written work in English about Algeria. I was wondering what additions to the mentioned book the author, McDougall has made?!
J**T
Brilliant
Extremely well written; I found it hard to put down
A**R
Excellent service
Arrivent on time. Book as advertised. Quick and Effective
L**S
A difficult read
Written by an academic, seemingly for academics. It's quite a difficult read, with long meandering sentences, and tangents in paragraphs.
Z**A
Excellent service. As described
Excellent service. As described
B**.
Five Stars
This is one of very few books that approached the history of Algeria without bias.
R**T
... well done even though the prose is a bit dull.
Very well done even though the prose is a bit dull.
I**A
Five Stars
Necessary and important.
K**R
Misses more than it Covers
If you don't mind the turgid style, James McDougall gives you a detailed, step by step description of the personalities and conflicts at the center of Algerian politics over several centuries. These, however, were not the only forces influencing the national development. In particular, what are very inadequately covered are two important factors: - How independence from France was actually achieved - not by guerilla war but by international pressure, and - What key foreign powers were doing - especially Soviets and Americans in the 20th century - to influence Algeria's future. In addition, there is virtually no description of the development of the oil & gas industry, which has had more impact on modern Algeria than all the domestic political gaming combined.
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