The Image of Algeria in Anglo-American Writings, 1785-1962

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

This book explores the way in which British and American visitors experienced Algeria and about their imaginary responses to the country. It also attempts to trace the elaboration and evolution of the perception of Algeria in the West with particular focus on the impressions and representations of those Anglo-Americans who experienced Algeria at first hand and wrote about it. The book provides historical perspective from the 16th century to the turn of the 19th century, but more specifically from 1785, which opened the chapter of the young American Republic clashes with the Regency of Algiers, to the last years of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962. It provides for the first time a corpus of literary texts that offer a basic anthology of Anglo-American writings on Algeria. In that sense, some valuable documents that had fallen into oblivion have been retrieved, throwing some illuminating light on the common and often forgotten cultural connections between Algeria and the Anglo-American world over four centuries.

Reviews

...a stimulating book for the student of Algeria's history and an intriguing excursion through one of the by-ways of English literature. -- Sir Alan Munro, The Journal of Algerian Studies
...provides a new glimpse into little known and rarely tapped English and American writings related to Algeria...great use to researchers interested in colonial studies, both in history and literature. -- Aida Bamia, NEAS Department * Middle East Journal *

Author Bio

Osman Bencherif is Senior Lecturer in the English Department at Algiers University.