Lords of the Atlas: The Rise and Fall of the House of Glaoua, 1893-1956

In one sense this story of the evolution of the State of Morocco is a by-water of history, and Maxwell does a great service by filling in the gaps. At another level though, Maxwell weaves a story of personal ambition against a backdrop of tribal, national and colonial rivalries that were still being resolved late in the 20th Century. Maxwell tells the story well, such that the unfamiliar and labryinthe tribal relationships become - almost - familiar and the reader develops some sense of attachment to the characters and lifestyle that were ultimately doomed. Maxwell without making a big thing of it, reveals that he is not just an observer, but was party to the events in later years. This gives him great veracity, and inevitably great show more sympathy with his subject. For anyone who thought Maxwell was simply an observer of animals this is an eye-opener. It is certainly worth the struggle to initially come to grips with the cast of characters and tribes, but it is a much easier read as it goes along. show less

Disappointing. The first few chapters are almost all quotes from other writers about Morocco's history. I may go back later, skimming the later chapters there seems to be a greater preponderance of Maxwell's own writing.