Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring - Softcover

Willis, Michael J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849043922 ISBN 13: 9781849043922

Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 2014

Synopsis

The overthrow of the regime of President Ben Ali in Tunisia on 14 January 2011 took the world by surprise. The popular revolt in this small Arab country and the effect it had on the wider Arab world prompted questions as to why there had been so little awareness of it up until that point. It also revealed a more general lack of knowledge about the surrounding western part of the Arab world, or the Maghreb, which had long attracted a tiny fraction of the outside interest shown in the eastern Arab world of Egypt, the Levant and the Gulf. This book examines the politics of the three states of the central Maghreb Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco since their achievement of independence from European colonial rule in the 1950s and 1960s. It explains the political dynamics of the region by looking at the roles played by various actors such as the military, political parties and Islamist movements and addresses issues such as Berber identity and the role played by economics, as well as how the states of the region interact with each other and with the wider world.

About this title

Review:

'Michael Willis has sought to encompass the political evolution of the three core countries that make up the Maghreb Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in terms of how power has been articulated and exercised there from independence until the present day. ... This is a bold and ambitious attempt to treat the Maghreb as a region with parallel, yet individual national experiences that must be treated together to define the region's specificities and to highlight its common experiences. Indeed, it is this approach that gives this study much of its originality. ... This should become an essential introductory reading for everybody interested in North Africa, whether for academic or professional purposes.' --George Joffe, Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge

'History, culture and geography have set North Africa apart from the rest of the Arab and Mediterranean worlds. Yet it would be difficult to find three more different countries than Morocco, the conservative monarchy, 'revolutionary' Algeria, and 'moderate' Tunisia particularly in light of the Arab Spring of 2011. Drawing on more than two decades of living and work experience in the Maghreb, Michael Willis has crafted a brilliant guide to the ever-changing culture, society and politics of this critical part of the world. It is the best book on the subject by far, and confirms Willis's reputation as the foremost authority on the comparative politics of North Africa in the English-speaking world.' --Eugene Rogan, author of The Arabs: A History

'This accessible and timely volume provides an excellent background to the extraordinary events currently taking place in North Africa. Taking a thematic approach to developments in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, Michael Willis highlights their similarities and differences in ways essential to an understanding of whether continuity or radical change will characterise this region in future.' --Dr. Claire Spencer, Head, Middle East & North Africa Programme, Chatham House

From the Author:

MICHAEL J. WILLIS is King Mohamed VI Fellow in Moroccan and Mediterranean Studies at St Antony's College, Oxford University. Prior to this he taught politics for seven years at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. His research focuses on the politics, modern history and international relations of the Maghreb. His previous publications include The Islamist Challenge in Algeria: A Political History.

About this edition

• Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1849043922
• ISBN 13: 9781849043922
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320