History and the Culture of Nationalism in Algeria

An exceptional analysis of the relationship between colonialism, Islamic culture and nationalism in Algeria.

James McDougall (Author)

9780521843737, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 July 2006

284 pages, 18 b/w illus. 1 map
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.2 cm, 0.595 kg

"McDougall's book is an outstanding achievement and contribution to modern Algerian history.... This book is deeply researched with very impressive readings and renderings of Arabic literature testifying to McDougall's skills as a gifted historial and linguist. A map and eighteen illustrations enhance the work. Advanced students and specialists, especially those familiar with postmodern critical theory, will benefit most from it. Nevertheless, McDougall's work will undoubtedly serve as an essential reference for any study of the historical development of Algerian nationalism." - International Journal of Middle East Studies

Colonialism denied Algeria its own history; nationalism reinvented it. James McDougall charts the creation of that history through colonialism to independence, exploring the struggle to define Algeria's past and determine the meaning of its nationhood. Through local histories, he analyses the relationship between history, Islamic culture and nationalism in Algeria. He confronts prevailing notions that nationalism emancipated Algerian history, and that Algeria's past has somehow determined its present, violence breeding violence, tragedy repeating itself. Instead, he argues, nationalism was a new kind of domination, in which multiple memories and possible futures were effaced. But the histories hidden by nationalism remain below the surface, and can be recovered to create alternative visions for the future. This is an exceptional and engaging book, rich in analysis and documentation. It will be read by colonial historians and social theorists as well as by scholars of the Middle East and North Africa.

Preface
The language of history
Prologue: Tunis, 1899
1. The margins of a world in fragments
2. The conquest conquered?
3. The doctors of new religion
4. Saint cults and ancestors
5. Arabs and Berbers?
Epilogue: Algiers, 2001
The invention of authenticity
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], African history [HBJH], Asian history [HBJF]