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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
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Morocco, The Traveller's Companion
by Margar Bidwell (Editor)
Pepys, Defoe, Twain, Orwell and Wharton, as well as famous Muslim travelers such as Leo Africanus and a host of others -- merchants, sailors, consuls and scholars-- are all included.
The Food of Morocco
by Paula Wolfert
A Mediterranean cuisine icon brings a lifetime of experience and taste to this gorgeously illustrated cookbook and cultural guide.
Islam, A Short History
by Karen Armstrong
Armstrong brings authority and experience to this vivid, clear-headed survey of the history and impact of Islam from the birth of Muhammad to present-day challenges. The best short introduction to the subject.
In Arabian Nights, A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
by Tahir Shah
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.
Lonely Planet Fez Encounter
by Virginia Maxwell
A lively shirt pocket guide to the imperial city.
Cadogan Guide Marrakesh, Fez and Rabat
by Barnaby Rogerson
This personal, comprehensive handbook combines Rogerson's insightful cultural and historical background with his savvy practical information and recommendations on what to see and where to stay and eat.
The Sheltering Sky
by Paul Bowles
Bowles' most famous work, by turns stark and transcendent, is a tale of three people whose lives unravel in the desert of North Africa. Originally published in 1949.
Eyewitness Guide Morocco
by Eyewitness Guides
Gorgeously illustrated and filled with excellent maps, this compact guide introduces Morocco's history, culture and attractions.
Lords of the Atlas
by Gavin Maxwell
Set in the medieval city of Marrakech and the majestic kasbahs of the High Atlas mountains, this rousing history vividly portrays life in French colonial Morocco. Maxwell (Ring of Bright Water) follows the fate of the despotic Glaoui clan from 1893 to independence.
The Voices of Marrakesh, A Record of a Visit
by Elias Canetti
Canetti portrays the people and life of the city's bazaars, cafes, and streets in a series of acutely observed essays, including vivid sketches of the storytellers in the Djema el Fna, the everpresent beggars and rituals of Moroccan family life in the 1950s. Canetti is particularly good on the Marrakesh Mellah, the old but then still living Jewish quarter.
Morocco Map
by Michelin Travel Publications
An excellent road map in the Michelin style, featuring city and town plans and a full place name index.
Living in Morocco
by Stoeltie, Barbara and Rene
From exquisite rugs and textiles to vibrant mosaics, courtyards and homes, this gorgeous photographic collection celebrates the beauty and allure of Morocco's architecture, with a particular focus on interiors.
The Spider's House
by Paul Bowles
Set in Fez during a 1954 nationalist uprising, this richly descriptive novel may be the most evocative of Bowles' many works set in Morocco. Originally published in 1955.
A Street in Marrakech, A Personal View of Urban Women in Morocco
by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea
Fernea's account of her unpredictable journey though the private and public world's of a traditional Muslim city includes marvelous descriptions of daily life in and around the medina in Marrakech.
A Year in Marrakesh
by Peter Mayne
This brilliantly entertaining, insightful classic account of Marrakesh captures the rhythm and spirit of life in the alleyways of the Medina in the 1950s.
The Land of an African Sultan, Travels in Morocco
by Walter Harris
This classic by the intrepid Walter Harris, the Times correspondent in Tangiers from the 1890s to 1933, takes in the artists and eccentrics of Tangier, the darkness and decadence of the sultan's court In Marrakech, celebrated Fez, marvels of the High Atlas -- and his remarkable ride, in disguise, to Sheshouan -- the second of only three Christians ever to enter the Berber town.
Living in Morocco
by Stoeltie, Barbara and Rene
From exquisite rugs and textiles to vibrant mosaics, courtyards and homes, this gorgeous photographic collection celebrates the beauty and allure of Morocco's architecture, with a particular focus on interiors.
Dreams of Trespass, Tales of a Harem Girlhood
by Fatima Mernissi
This captivating memoir by one of Morocco’s most outspoken women opens, "I was born in a harem in 1940 in Fez, a ninth-century Moroccan city." Mernissi captures not only the spirit of the place, but also the hierarchy and decorum of a Muslim family compound.
Marrakesh & Northern Morocco Map
by ITMB
Featuring a detailed walking map of the Medina and surrounding New Town on one side and a map of Northern Morocco at 1:740,000 on the reverse. With insets of Rabat and Tangier.
In Morocco
by Edith Wharton
Wharton's enjoyable account of her month-long journey through Morocco after WWI captures the landscapes, architecture and many aspects of Muslim culture and history, and especially the cities of Rabat, Fez and Marrakech.
Morocco, The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges
by Marvine Howe
A penetrating look at political, social and cultural life in Morocco under King Mohammed V, by a former New York Times correspondent.
Lonely Planet Moroccan Arabic Phrasebook
by Dan Bacon
This handy phrasebook includes pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary.
The Caliph's House, A Year in Casablanca
by Tahir Shah
Shah is a marvelous storyteller, weaving Moroccan customs and history with deft portraits of neighbors, craftsmen and others in this entertaining tale of the transformation of a crumbling palace in Casablanca.
Shopping in Marrakech
by Susan Simon
Divided into seven separate walks through shopping areas, this small, handy guide with excellent maps is extremely helpful for navigating the labyrinthine mazes of Marrakech and its markets.
A Traveller's History of North Africa
by Barnaby Rogerson
Wide-ranging, accessible and effectively condensed, this brief history marches confidently through the centuries, covering key events and personalities in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria to 1999.
Marrakesh, Through Writers' Eyes
by Barnaby Rogerson (Editor), Stephen Lavington
A choice collection of travel writing on the Red City by 40 luminaries, including George Orwell, Winston Churchill, Gavin Maxwell and Peter Mayne.
Morocco Courtyards and Gardens
by Achva Benzinberg Stein
Splendid color photographs and aerial views of the palaces, mosques, and signature walled gardens of Fez, Marrakech, and Rabat.
Culture Smart! Morocco
by Jillian York
History, religion, daily life, food, health and safety are all covered in this accessible pocket guide to Moroccan customs, etiquette and culture, by an author who lives and teaches there.
Traditional Moroccan Cooking, Recipes from Fez
by Claudia Roden (Introduction), Madame Guinaudeau
First published in 1958, Madame Guinaudeau’s charming guide to Moroccan cuisine explores the rich culinary traditions of Fez with anecdotes, recipes, drawings and chapters on everything from choosing spices and preserving lemons to The Art of Making and Drinking Tea.