Morocco That Was [Paperback]

Walter Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1984 | ISBN-10: 0907871402 | ISBN-13: 978-0907871408

Here are the vanished days of the unfettered Sultanate in all their dark, melodramatic splendor-a mingling of magnificence with squalor, culture with barbarism, refined cruelty with naive humor. Until 1912 Morocco never suffered foreign domination, and its mountainous interior was as closed to foreigners as Tibet. WALTER HARRIS (1866-1933), though, was the exception. He first visited in 1887 and lived in the country for more than thirty-five years, and as the Times correspondent had observed every aspect of its life. He was an intimate of at least three of the ruling Sultans (as well as King Edward VII) and a man capable even of befriending his kidnapper. It was said that only three Christians had ever visited the walled city of Chechaouen: one was poisoned, one came for an hour disguised as a rabbi, and the other was Harris. Originally published in 1921, Morocco That Was is alternately sharp, melodramatic, and extremely funny. The combination of perceptive and reliable observer, and romantic eccentric, makes this book a classic of its genre.""- Times Literary Supplement.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“No Englishman knows Morocco better than Mr. W.B. Harris, and his new book, mainly about Mulai Abdul Aziz, Mulai Hafid, and Raisuli, is most entertaining. Mr. Harris devotes a long and interesting chapter to the brigand chief Raisuli.”–Spectator --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Walter Harris was born in London in 1866, one of seven children of a prosperous business man. After schooling at Harrow and a short time at Cambridge, he left England to travel, and managed to visit Constantinople, India, Egypt, Archangel, Yemen and South Africa before settling in Tangier at the age of 20. He worked as a journalist, eventually salaried on The Times, continued to travel, like an English Indiana Jones, to areas of the Middle East never previously visited by Europeans, and built four houses in Tangier. He married once, though he was predominantly homosexual, and died of a stroke in 1933. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Eland & Sickle Moon Books (May 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0907871402
• ISBN-13: 978-0907871408
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,940,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing account of turn of the century Morocco, July 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Morocco That Was (Paperback)

Walter Harris, London Times correspondant and 30 year inhabitant of Tangier, delivers the diffinitive account of pre-protectorate Morocco and the Moroccan Royal Courts. This eyewitness account of an ancient culture coming to grips with an overwhelming Western influence is both absorbing and hillarious to the point of disbelief. Harris' tales of Berber rebels and a matter-of-fact Sultanry, in addition to his coverage of the inevitabile process of European colonialization, captures the loss of innocence which befell a still vital land. A must read for anyone interested in North African history.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, informative read, December 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Morocco That Was (Paperback)

My favorite book on Moroccan history. Harris has access to exclusive parts of Moroccan society at a pivotal time in Moroccan history (leading up to the French occupation). He writes as a sensitive traveler, but one with an insider's point-of-view. His writing style makes historical figures human; comic and tragic. His book is both funny and informative. Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read, April 25, 2007

By 

M. Helmke - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morocco That Was (Paperback)

Walter Harris may have been one of the most self-important men of his period, at least among the expatriate community in Morocco during his era. Even so, his record in this book is mostly accurate and always entertaining and informative. I might disagree a little with some of his insights, but his perspective is one worth studying and considering, as it was common in his era. If you have an interest in this era of Moroccan history, buy this book.