Adolescence in a Moroccan Town, Making Social Sense  •  John W.M. Whiting  •  Douglas A. Davis  •  Susan Schaefer Davis CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES An illuminating, serious study of adolescents in a northern Moroccan town. The authors examine sexuality, family, friendship, courtship, marriage, and social deviance through interviews with 150 youths and their families. (MRC54, $25.00)
The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, A Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century  •  Ross E. Dunn TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 359 PAGES A modern historian's account of Ibn Battuta's travels in the medieval Islamic world. When Battuta left his native Morocco in 1325, he intended a pilgrimage to Mecca; however his travels ultimately took him as far as Mali in the west and Malaysia in the east, stopping in China, the Middle East, and much of Africa along the way. With Battuta's peregrinations as a framework, Dunn embarks on a scholarly exploration of the medieval Muslim world. He includes lengthy excerpts from Battuta's writing (Battuta's own account is also currently in print, Item AFR106) . With excellent maps. (AFR103, $21.95)
Africa  •  Michael Lewis  •  John Reader CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 320 PAGES An informative survey of the geography, culture and wildlife of Africa featuring 175 color photographs and accompanying text by John Reader (Africa: A Biography of the Continent). Organized geographically, it's the companion volume to an eight-hour television series by PBS and National Geographic. (AFR111, $50.00)
African Wildlife  •  Raymond Leung  •  James Kavanaugh FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  PLASTIC CARD • BEST SELLER A laminated foldout guide illustrating almost 150 species of African animals. This pocket guide is designed for quick reference in the field. (AFR109, $5.95)
Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation  •  Ali Jamale Ahmed RELIGION •  2001 •  PAPER  • 571 PAGES A handsome bilingual edition of the sacred text of the Muslims, translated elegantly and accessibly by the late Pakistani novelist and poet. Ali revised the translation of the original text for this revised 1993 edition. With explanatory notes, original Arabic and English verse translations. (ISL02, $19.95)
The Ancient Mediterranean  •  Michael Grant CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1990 •  PAPER  • 374 PAGES Grant, a well known classical scholar, draws on archaeology, geography, art, and economics to paint a vivid picture of ancient cultures, from prehistory through the Roman Imperium, and their influence on western civilization. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and 19 maps of the region. (MED10, $18.00)
Arabesque, A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, And Lebanon  •  Claudia Roden FOOD •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 352 PAGES Roden leavens 150 well-chosen, classic recipes of North Africa and the Middle East with scraps of history, culture and tales. With 93 color photographs. (MED99, $35.00)
Arabic, a Language Map  •  Kristine K. Kershul LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PLASTIC CARD This durable, foldout card, featuring 1,000 words and phrases, works as a quick reference for travelers. (ARB70, $7.95)
The Art and Architecture of Islam 1250-1800  •  Sheila Blair  •  Jonathan Bloom ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES An illustrated survey of the great monuments and art produced by Muslim peoples from the 13th to 19th centuries, including the Taj Mahal and the Alhambra. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the art and architecture of the Medieval Arab world. (ISL27, $37.00)
Bargaining for Reality, The Construction of Social Relations in a Muslim Community  •  Lawrence Rosen CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1984 •  PAPER  • 210 PAGES A scholarly study of interpersonal relationships and social behavior in Moroccan society. (ISL29, $22.00)
The Bazaar, Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World  •  Walter Weiss  •  Kurt-Michael Westermann CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 256 PAGES In addition to hundreds of color photos, this celebration of bazaars throughout the Islamic world includes a history of caravan trade, an overview of the setup of medinas and portraits of bazaars from Marrakech to Samarkand. (CAS36, $50.00)
The Berbers  •  Michael Brett  •  Elizabeth Fentress CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A comprehensive overview of the indigenous people of North Africa from antiquity through the Roman and Islamic periods to modern times. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs and diagrams, it is a survey of the history, literature and culture of the Berbers -- and the identity they have forged in the region -- in the Peoples of Africa series by academic publisher Blackwell. (NAF02, $43.95)
Beyond the Veil, Male-Female Dynamics in Modern Muslim Society  •  Fatima Mernissi CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1987 •  PAPER  • 200 PAGES An examination of sexuality and gender in the modern Muslim world, written by an expert on the roles of women in Islamic society. With a long section on the traditional Muslim view of women, followed by a case study of relations in modern Morocco. (MDE35, $14.95)
Birds of Europe  •  Killian Mullarney  •  Lars Svensson  •  Dan Zetterstrom  •  Peter J. Grant FIELD GUIDE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES • FAVORITE This Princeton Field Guide features 3,500 illustrations by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom. Color plates depict every species -- and sometimes several different variants -- for 722 birds found from the Urals to the Atlantic, Scandinavia to the Middle East. (FG47, $29.95)
Bradt Guide Canary Islands  •  Lucy Corne GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 342 PAGES A comprehensive guide in the popular Bradt series by a Las Palmas resident and journalist. With city and town plans and in-depth coverage of destinations throughout the archipelago. (CNY06, $21.95)
Cadogan Morocco  •  Barnaby Rogerson GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 648 PAGES A guidebook in the respected British Cadogan series, this comprehensive look at Morocco provides insightful cultural and historical background, and up-to-date practical information. The heart of the book contains region-by-region descriptions aimed at the well read traveler. With some illustrations and excellent maps. (MRC50, $24.95)
Call of the Desert, The Sahara  •  Philippe Bourseiller NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 424 PAGES The handsome coffee table book features color photographs of the landscapes, cultures and wildlife of the Sahara. (NAF34, $50.00)
Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco  •  Paula Wolfert FOOD •  1987 •  PAPER  • 330 PAGES Paula Wolfert has done more than anyone to elevate Americans' consciousness of the marvelous foods of the Mediterranean. Her cookbooks are uniformly pleasurable: both informative reads and excellent kitchen companions. In this book, she turns her attentions to Morocco and its national cuisine, with great results. (MRC43, $19.00)
Desert Divers  •  Sven Lindqvist EXPLORATION •  2002 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A lyrical account of Lindqvist's travels through the Sahara, taking as its theme the stereotypes and racial prejudices of Andre Gide, Antoine de St. Exupery and other literary idols who found inspiration in the desert. Lindqvist, a scholar who has written widely on racism, is fascinated by the men who clean the wells in the Sahara, hence the odd title. (NAF12, $12.95)
Eat Smart in Morocco  •  Joan Peterson GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES This handy brief guide is subtitled "How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure." (MRC76, $12.95)
Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East  •  Donna Lee Bowen  •  Evelyn A. Early CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 411 PAGES The second edition of a diverse collection of articles on life in the modern Muslim countries by Middle Eastern and Western scholars, revised and updated. It includes scholarly and popular essays, short stories, and traditional songs. The anthology is organized thematically into sections on life passages, relations between the sexes, home, religion, performance and entertainment. With good suggestions for further reading, glossary and notes. (MDE34, $23.95)
Fodor's Morocco  •  Felic Aarons GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES This informative guide provides the essentials for travelers, featuring maps, recommendations on where to sleep and eat, and plenty of advice for sightseeing, from the Sahara and beaches to bustling streets of Fez and Casablanca. (MRC81, $22.00)
Formation of Islamic Art  •  Oleg Grabar ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 232 PAGES A classic on the art and architecture of the Islamic World by a prominent authority. (ARB28, $29.00)
Frommer's Morocco  •  Darren Humphrys GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES A practical travel guide featuring excellent annotated listings of what to do and where to eat and sleep. With one-color maps and suggested excursions. (MRC82, $23.99)
The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from Africa  •  Alexander McCall Smith LITERATURE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES McCall Smith brings together a collection of often hilarious, often bizarre folktales which he heard as a child growing up in Zimbabwe. In addition to the tales from his previous collection, Children of Wax, the best-selling author includes seven new tales from Botswana. In an interesting twist on a writer's creation, the title character of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency provides an introduction. (AFR141, $22.00)
Glory in a Camel's Eye, A Perilous Trek through the Greatest African Desert  •  Jeffrey Tayler TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES The you-are-there narrative of a 535-mile trek across the Draa Valley in the Moroccan Sahara with Ruhhal guides. Published in Britain as Valley of the Casbahs: A Journey across the Moroccan Sahara, Tayler has also written memorably about Siberia and the Congo. Tayler (now based on Moscow) was a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1988-1990. (NAF35, $14.00)
The Hadj, An American's Journey to Mecca  •  Michael Wolfe TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES Wolfe, an American convert to Islam and scholar, recounts his own journey from Morocco to Mecca, the people he met and the sights along the way. It's a lively travelogue, detailed and engaging. The author also put together an anthology of writings on the Hadj called One Thousand Roads to Mecca (ARB02). (ARB01, $16.00)
Hideous Kinky, A Novel  •  Esther Freud LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 186 PAGES A mother (played by Kate Winslet in the movie) and two daughters meander in Morocco in search of meaning in this autobiographical novel by the daughter of British painter Lucien Freud. (MRC49, $14.00)
A History of God  •  Karen Armstrong RELIGION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 460 PAGES A lucid and compelling history of God as conceived by Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Armstrong brings together history, philosophy, religion to compare these three important faiths, describing how each has adapted its idea of God to its historical circumstances. Armstrong -- a former nun and member of the Association of Muslim Social Services who lives in Jerusalem and teaches Judaism -- shows a deep respect for each tradition, and the search for a meaningful concept of god. (ISR24, $15.95)
A History of the Arab Peoples  •  Albert Hourani HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 551 PAGES A grand history of the Arab world by the distinguished Oxford historian Albert Hourani, this is a readable and much acclaimed survey that ranges over 13 centuries. It chronicles the political, spiritual, religious and cultural traditions of the Arab peoples in 26 lucidly written chapters. This book has been called a landmark and a masterpiece -- and it's essential to understanding the Middle East. (MDE11, $16.99)
A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period  •  Jamil Abun-Nasr HISTORY •  1987 •  PAPER  • 460 PAGES An authoritative, scholarly history of North Africa from the seventh century until independence, covering the Berber dynasties, Ottoman rule, colonial period and independence. For those with a serious interest, it's an excellent history of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya, revealing how the region was swept into the conflict between Ottoman and Christian empires. (NAF31, $65.00)
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits  •  Laila Lalami LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER Lalami ( moorishgirl.com ) opens her impressive debut novel with four young characters aboard an inflatable raft en route from Morocco to Spain -- and a better life. She offers an insightful look at the struggle to get by in modern Morocco. (MRC67, $21.95)
In Arabian Nights, A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams  •  Tahir Shah BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 368 PAGES Shah (The Caliph's House) weaves his own family tradition of storytelling with commentary on Moroccan spiritual traditions, culture and history in this account of his adopted home on the sea in Casablanca. (MRC80, $24.00)
In Search of Islamic Feminism, One Woman's Global Journey  •  Elizabeth Warnock and Rob Fernea TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES Seeking an answer to whether feminism is possible under Islam, the author embarks upon a two year journey through the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. Traveling through Uzbekistan, Morocco, Kuwait, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, Elizabeth Fernea, a professor of Middle Eastern studies, chronicles the diversity of female experience in each nation. (ISL28, $15.95)
Insight Guide Mediterranean Cruises  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 300 PAGES Covering 120 ports of call throughout the Mediterranean from the Canary Islands to Egypt. (MED94, $22.95)
Islam and Democracy, Fear of the Modern World  •  Fatima Mernissi HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 195 PAGES A short, inflammatory book on the possibility of democracy in the Middle East by a well known Moroccan critic, historian and feminist. (ISL06, $17.50)
Islam and Mammon, The Economic Predicament of Islamism  •  Timur Kuran RELIGION •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 232 PAGES In this six essays (all previously published in scholarly journals), Kuran presents a well-argued critique of the doctrine of Islamic economics. (ISL46, $60.00)
Islam and the West  •  Bernard Lewis RELIGION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 217 PAGES In this illuminating collection of essays, one of the great authorities on the Middle East explores the common ground shared by Islam and the West. It is an excellent guide to the history of the relationship between East and West. (ARB12, $18.95)
Islam, The Straight Path  •  John L. Esposito RELIGION •  2004 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES A well-written survey of the faith, practice and beliefs of Islam. It's a balanced tome intended for an undergraduate audience, yet it also functions as an excellent overview for the general reader. (MDE22, $39.95)
Islamic Art and Architecture  •  Robert Hillenbrand ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Covering one thousand years and the geographic scope of Islam, this book is a wide-ranging guide to the arts of Islam, including architecture, calligraphy, ceramics, and textiles. A marvelously compact synthesis, it focuses on major styles associated with Muslim dynasties including the Ottomans. With a useful glossary of Islamic terms, time line, maps and 270 illustrations, many in color. (CAS17, $18.95)
Islamic Art and Architecture, 650-1250  •  Richard Ettinghausen  •  Oleg Grabar ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 360 PAGES An illustrated survey of the great monuments and art produced by Muslim peoples during medieval times, including the Dome of the Rock, as well as many small aritfacts. (ISL26, $37.00)
Islamic Arts  •  Jonathan Bloom  •  Sheila Blair ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 445 PAGES A comprehensive survey of 1,000 years of Islamic architecture, design and decoration. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps and site plans. For anyone with an interest in art, this book is a wonderfully illuminating, stimulating introduction to the subject. (ISL01, $24.95)
The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?  •  John L. Esposito RELIGION •  1999 •  PAPER  • 328 PAGES An authority on Islam examines key political issues, various Islamic movements and Muslim relations with the West in this insightful, balanced survey. This third edition includes new material on Turkey, Afghanistan, Palestine, Southeast Asia, and a discussion of international terrorism. (ISL03, $18.95)
Islamism and Secularism in North Africa  •  John Ruedy RELIGION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES A discussion of Islamic movements in North Africa with contributions by international scholars. (ISL13, $40.95)
Leo Africanus  •  Amin Maalouf LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 360 PAGES A fictional memoir documenting the first 40 years in the life of Leo Africanus (or Leo the African), a Muslim scholar whose travels lead him throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Based on a real-life figure, Leo is witness to many of the revolutionary changes and figures in the Western world of the period. (MED55, $16.95)
Living in Morocco  •  Lisl Dennis  •  Landt Dennis CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES A celebration of the lavish decoration that colors Moroccan life. Glorious photos bring colorful interiors, distinct architecture and traditional folk art into the context of quotidian life. With 364 color illustrations. (MRC53, $29.95)
Lonely Planet Marrakesh Encounter  •  Alison Bing GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER With a section of not-to-missed highlights and a calendar of annual events, this lively pocket guide organized by neighborhood includes suggested side trips, along what to see and where to shop, eat, drink and play. With a double-sided pullout map. (MRC91, $11.99)
Lonely Planet Morocco  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES • BEST SELLER A comprehensive, practical guide to Morocco in the hallmark Lonely Planet style featuring a section of color photographs and excellent local maps. Geared for the independent traveler, the book includes a good introduction to the country in addition to the usual nuts-and-bolts information on where to go, sleep and eat. It includes information on trekking routes in the High Atlas and Rif mountains. (MRC19, $24.99)
The Magic of Morocco  •  Tahar Ben Jalloun  •  Alain D'Hooghe  •  Mohamed Sijelmassi ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 186 PAGES A collection of photographs, both archival and modern, including such celebrated artists as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Paul Strand. Moroccan novelist Tahar Ben Jelloun provides the introductory essay. (MRC32, $29.95)
Makbara  •  Juan Goytisolo LITERATURE •  1993 •  PAPER Not an easy read, this oddly punctuated strange novel by Spain's modern master (and long-time resident in Marrakech) delves into sex, love, freedom and Arabic traditions. (MRC74, $14.99)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World  •  Peter Weir LITERATURE •  2003 •  DVD Peter Weir's exciting adaptation of two of Patrick O'Brian's popular novels, "Master and Commander" and "The Far Side of the World," starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. Crowe is Captain Jack Aubrey, whose British ship, the HMS Surprise, is battling a mysterious French ship off the coast of Cape Horn during the Napoleonic Wars of 1805. An extended sequenced filmed on the Galapagos marks one of the first times the islands have been depicted in a feature film. (GPS66, $39.98)
The Middle Sea, A History of the Mediterranean  •  John Julius Norwich HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 720 PAGES • NEW A marvelous writer who has already tackled Byzantium, the Normans in Sicily and Venice, Norwich spins his magic in this story of culture, trade and politics, royalty and rulers, wars and religion in the Mediterranean from antiquity to the end of the First World War. (MED98, $20.00)
Morocco Map 742  •  Michelin Travel Publications MAP A detailed map of Morocco at a scale of 1:1,000,000. (MRC97, $11.95)
Morocco Map Laminated  •  Borch Maps 2007 •  MAP A laminated map of Morocco, scale 1:1,400,000 (MRC23, $10.95)
Morocco Since 1830, A History  •  C. R. Pennell HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 442 PAGES A strong scholarly history of the politics of modern Morocco, with a focus on the various colonial influences that have shaped its cultural landscape. With black-and-white photographs, maps and tables. Highly recommended. (MRC31, $25.00)
Morocco That Was  •  Walter Harris TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A piercingly funny and sharp eyewitness account of the Sultanate by the eccentric London Times correspondent in Tangiers. Harris lived in the country for 30 years, which gave him unusual access to the Moorish court and civic life. Originally published in 1921. (MRC59, $34.95)
Morocco, From Empire to Independence  •  C. R. Pennell HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Pennell charts the exhilarating history of a country which lies at the crossroads of two great civilizations, depicting an exotic world with a turbulent and dramatic past. (MRC88, $19.95)
Morocco, In the Labyrinth of Dreams and Bazaars  •  Walter M. Weiss TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 224 PAGES Weiss travels the breadth and depth of Morocco's social and geographical contrasts. He visits the settings of modern legends, such as Tangiers and Casablanca, as well as the two medieval centers, Fès and Meknès, and sees earthen kasbahs and Marrakech's bazaar, meeting acrobats, Sufi musicians, pilgrims, craftsmen, beatniks, rabbis and Berber farmers, among many others along the way. (MRC98, $19.95)
Morocco, Jews and Art in a Muslim Land  •  Vivian Mann ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES Combining history, art and memoir, this illustrated book, published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name at the Jewish Museum in New York, celebrates the customs and traditions of 2,000 years of Jewish life in Morocco. (MRC64, $59.95)
Muslim Politics  •  Dale Eickelman  •  James Piscatori RELIGION •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A succinct overview of politics, tradition, authority, religion and ethnicity in the contemporary Muslim world. Eickelman and Piscatori are editors for the series, Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics. (ISL36, $25.95)
Nine Parts of Desire, The Hidden World of Islamic Women  •  Geraldine Brooks CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES An award-winning journalist, Brooks reports on the women throughout the Islamic world, focusing her wide-ranging interviews on the social, religious and political forces that have shaped their lives. This popular in-depth account is a highly readable overview of the role of women in Islamic society. (ARB06, $14.95)
No god but God, The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam  •  Reza Aslan RELIGION •  2006 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES Geared for a popular audience, this provocative book is both a call for reform and a history of early Muslim life and practice. Born in Tehran in 1972, Alsan is a journalist, commentator and doctoral candidate in Religious Studies at The University of California at Santa Barbara. (ISL50, $14.95)
North African Villages, Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia  •  Norman Carver CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  PAPER  • 200 PAGES This book documents the folk architecture, houses and markets of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in the late 1970s in stunning black-and-white and color photographs. With extensive notes and text by photographer-architect Norman Carver. The author traveled throughout the region and this excellent book reflects his familiarity with the people, culture and geography of the region. (TUN11, $29.95)
The Olive, Tree of Civilization  •  John Train  •  Mark E. Smith HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES A history of the celebrated vegetable and the mythology behind it. (NAT72, $25.00)
Orientalism  •  Edward W. Said HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES An influential account of Western attitudes and Muslim stereotypes by the great Middle East scholar. First published in 1978. (ISL07, $15.95)
The Peopling of Africa, A Geographic Interpretation  •  James L. Newman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES An anthropological study of Africa, which considers, among other factors, genetics, religion, language and technology. With 50 maps. (AFR140, $23.00)
Realm of the Saint, Power and Authority in Moroccan Sufism  •  Vincent J. Cornell RELIGION •  1998 •  PAPER A detailed study of the Sufi tradition in Islam. (MRC89, $35.00)
The Remarkable Baobab  •  Thomas Pakenham NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 144 PAGES It was inevitable that Pakenham, an historian of Africa with a penchant for the world's most striking and bizarre trees, would discover the baobab. In this followup to Remarkable Trees of the World and Meetings with Remarkable Trees, he focuses on the tremendous, twisted boabab trees of Africa, Madagascar and Australia. Of the world's eight species, six are found in Madagascar. With 60 large-format color photographs. (NAT71, $19.95)
The Rise of Christianity  •  Rodney Stark RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES The subtitle to this book says it all: "How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries." More a sociological study than a religious history, the book delves into what compelled so many people to convert to the then infant religion. (MED64, $14.95)
Rome in Africa  •  Susan Raven HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 254 PAGES A scholarly, comprehensive survey, long the standard history of Roman influence in Northern Africa, now in a third edition. With photographs, site plans, and a chronology, this book is an outstanding introduction to the magnificent Roman archaeological sites in Libya, Tunisia and throughout North Africa. It is illustrated and wonderfully written, covering the geographic setting, rise of Carthage, personalities and individual trading centers. Third edition. (NAF04, $49.95)
Rough Guide Mediterranean Cafe Music  •  Various Artists MUSIC •  2004 •  AUDIO CD A carefully chosen sampling of the diverse sounds of the cafe culture along the Mediterranean coasts, including music of Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt. (MED100, $14.98)
Rough Guide Morocco  •  Rough Guide GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 800 PAGES A practical, comprehensive guide in the fine British series aimed at the independent traveler, with detailed background on Morocco's culture and history and helpful information for getting around the country. Accomodations and transportation in the major towns and cities are featured. Includes 79 helpful sketch maps. (MRC51, $23.99)
Sahara, The Extraordinary History of the World's Largest Desert  •  Sheila Hirtle  •  Marq de Villiers NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 326 PAGES A chronicle of the geography, history and nature of the Sahara. The author (who has also written about water) combines travelogue, science and archaeology in this informative report. In the second half of the book de Villiers brings in the great cities and civilizations of the Sahara. With a few black-and-white photographs, notes and bibliography. A Canadian journalist (whose family has roots in South Africa), de Villiers draws on travels through North Africa in the 1970s with his collaborator Sheila Hirtle. (NAF13, $14.00)
The Sand Child  •  Alan Sheridan  •  Tahar Ben Jelloun LITERATURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 165 PAGES The politically charged story of Mohammed Ahmed, a girl raised as a boy to escape the limited life offered women in Islamic society. The award-winning Moroccan author continues the story in "The Sacred Night," when Mohammed gives up her disguise. (MRC27, $19.95)
Scheherazade Goes West, Different Cultures, Different Harems  •  Fatima Mernissi BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Mernissi reveals her unique experiences as a liberated, independent Moroccan woman, faced with the peculiarities and unexpected encroachments of Western culture. (MRC87, $14.00)
The Scramble for Africa  •  Thomas Pakenham HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 738 PAGES A well-written, meticulously researched history of the Victorian land grab in Africa. The book includes excellent portraits of the egomaniacal personalities that overran the continent, including Kitchener, Rhodes, Gordon and King Leopold. Subtitled "white man's conquest of the dark continent from 1876 to 1912, " it's an absorbing tale of adventure, tragedy and farce. (AFR26, $23.95)
Searching for a Different Future, The Rise of a Global Middle Class in Morocco  •  Shana Cohen CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  PAPER  • 177 PAGES Cohen explores the consequences of neoliberal economic reforms on Morocco's young, urban educated adults, who increasingly turn to the global job market and away from the state in search of economic security. (MRC86, $21.95)
The Serpent's Daughter  •  Suzanne Arruda MYSTERY •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 352 PAGES (MRC83, $23.95)
The Sheltering Sky  •  Paul Bowles LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 313 PAGES Bowles' most famous work, the tale of three travelers whose lives unravel in the desert of North Africa. Originally published in 1949. (NAF09, $14.95)
Skeletons on the Zahara, A True Story of Survival  •  Dean King EXPLORATION •  2005 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES King weaves a gripping tale of Captain James Riley and the men of the merchant ship Commerce, shipwrecked, captured and sold into slavery in 1815. King relies on published journals and his own travels to recreate the drama and hardship of the four-month trek across the Sahara. The men were eventually ransomed in Morocco, their survival nearly miraculous. Captain Riley's dramatic account of the ordeal, often reprinted over the years, was wildly popular in the 1800s. (NAF16, $14.99)
Special Places to Stay Morocco  •  Ann Cooke-Yarborough GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A review of 200 remarkable inns, guest houses and other lodging of character with color photographs. Organized geographically, each place gets a full page with two photographs, concise desription and contact information. With maps and short chapters on history, conservation and Islam. (MRC63, $21.95)
Stolen Lives, Twenty Years in a Desert Jail  •  Malika Oufkir BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  PAPER  • 294 PAGES In this riveting memoir, Oukfir vividly recalls the horrors of her struggle for survival as a political prisoner in Morocco. Born into privilege, Oukfir was imprisoned along with her family after her father, a general, was accused of attempting to stage a coup. Not for the faint of heart, Oufkir renders her family's brutal treatment in gruesome detail. (MRC62, $14.00)
A Street in Marrakech, A Personal View of Urban Women in Morocco  •  Elizabeth Warnock Fernea TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1988 •  PAPER  • 382 PAGES This intimate account of an American woman and ethnographer on a year abroad with her family in 1972 brims with lively descriptions of daily life of women in and around the medina In Marrakech. (MRC29, $24.95)
Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea  •  Robert D. Kaplan TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Robert Kaplan, the prolific journalist and author of Balkan Ghosts, travelled through Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea for this illuminating travelogue examining the culture, religion, and politics of the region. Kaplan also pays particular attention to the formidable impact of the 1980s famine. (AFR155, $13.95)
Tenth Gift  •  Jane Johnson LITERATURE •  2008 •  HARD COVER A volume of seventeenth-century embroidery patterns that also contains faint diary entries brings together the lives of two women of different eras--Cat Tregenna, kidnapped by Muslim pirates in 1625, and Julia Lovat, a modern-day woman out to authenticate Cat's story. (MRC85, $25.95)
Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue: Scenes from the Non-Christian World  •  Paul Bowles  •  Edmund White TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES Bowles' classic collection of eight travel essays, originally published in the 1950s, mostly about people and life in North Africa. The globe-skipping essays also include a chapter on tea plantations in Sri Lanka ("Fish Traps and Private Business"), a riff on South American parrots ("All Parrots Speak"), his travels in India ("Notes Mailed at Nagercoil") and thoughts on traveling to Istanbul with a Moroccan ("A Man Must Not Be Very Moslem"). Most of the articles were originally published in Holiday -- and the essays are much brighter and more affectionate than Bowles' fiction. The title is from a poem by Edward Lear: "Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live; Their heads are green and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve." (MRC60, $13.95)
Time Out Marrakech  •  Time Out GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Compact and up-to-date, this is an outstanding guide on where to go and what to do in Marrakech and the surrounding area. With maps and introductory chapters on culture and history. (MRC68, $19.95)
Time Out Shortlist Marrakech  •  Time Out GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 189 PAGES An up-to-date guide on what to do and where to go by the people who publish Time Out Magazine. (MRC84, $11.95)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
TravelTalk Moroccan Arabic  •  TravelTalk LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD  • 176 PAGES A combination Lonely Planet phrasebook and one-hour audio casette, designed as an introduction for the traveler to Arabic as it is spoken in Morocco. The CD, which is divided into 18 short lessons, covers 300 key words and phrases. (MRC20, $16.95)
Tribal Rugs  •  Jenny Housego ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 180 PAGES This beautifully illustrated book details the making of woven tribal rugs, elaborating on not only the construction of the rugs themselves, but the tribal history behind them. Highly recommended. (GEN101, $19.95)
Tuhami, Portrait of a Moroccan  •  Vincent Crapanzano CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1985 •  PAPER  • 205 PAGES The life story of a man possessed by spirits as told to an inquiring anthropologist. It's a scholarly, complex book about a tilemaker who believes he married a she-devil, and his ethnographic encounter with the author. (MRC16, $15.00)
Two Thousand Years of Jewish Life in Morocco  •  Haim Zafrani ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 372 PAGES A compendium by a leading scholar of the culture and history of Jewish life in Morocco. (MRC65, $39.50)
The War for Muslim Minds, Islam and the West  •  Gilles Kepel RELIGION •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 327 PAGES A provocative analysis of the impact of the war on terrorism and U.S. military activity on the stability and future of the Middle East. A distinguished Arabist, Gilles Kepel argues that the Islamic terrorists and fanatics are creating chaos in their own countries and losing support of the faithful. Kepel is a professor at the Institute for Political Studies in Paris (ISL47, $23.95)
We Share Walls, Language, Land, and Gender in Berber Morocco  •  Katherine E. Hoffman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2008 •  PAPER  • 280 PAGES Hoffman explores how political and economic shifts over the last century have reshaped the language practices and ideologies of women (and men) in the plains and mountains of rural Morocco. (MRC95, $41.75)
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East  •  Bernard Lewis HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES The prolific Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis traces the history of what was once a powerful player on the world stage and what is now an area dominated, in his words, by "shabby tyrannies... modern only in their apparatus of repression and terror," in this incisive examination of the history of Middle Eastern civilization. (ISL44, $12.95)
The World of Islam  •  Don Belt CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Collecting more than twenty five National Geographic articles from the last one hundred years, this glimpse into the Islamic world is a fascinating examination of the evolving relationship between East and West. With photographs and illustrations thoughout. (ISL30, $22.00)
Year of the Elephant, A Moroccan Women's Journey Toward Independence and other Stories  •  Leila Abouzeid LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 103 PAGES A short novel, first published in Arabic in 1983, set during the Moroccan struggle for independence. Its heroine fights against French colonialism -- and the constraints of her sex and class. This edition includes eight brief stories in addition. (MRC37, $12.95)