Reviews
Offers a deep analysis of Moroccan history through the lens of food production and distribution.--
"The complex historical analysis and layered uses of Arabic language aligns this book well with graduate work, as well as that of researchers and faculty."
--CHOICE
Charity, patronage, and highly personalised economic relations are a theme running through the book, just as they are strong strand in Moroccan political culture. Holden emphasises how the conservation of the Fez elites influenced the anti-colonial movement: in 1934 the nationalists celebrated Throne Day by distributing tajine, cakes and tea to workers in Tangiers, and in Fez they distributed loaves to the poor.
--Middle East Bulletin
Stacy Holden shows a remarkable command of archival resources, including her own collection of oral histories, as well as of larger issues in contemporary Middle Eastern history. The book should be of wide interest to students of the region.
--Gastronomica
An important, welcome, and fresh contribution to the literature on political modernity in the Middle East and North Africa… extremely ambitious in its scope… points to new paths for future research.
--Middle East Journal
Holden writes in a clear, concise and lively, style, and she creatively employs a wide variety of sources… strongly recommend[ed]… [for] everyone interested in the history of modern Morocco, pre-industrial towns, colonial policies and the study of politics in the Arab Islamic world.
--Social History
A welcome addition to literature focusing on how food-related commodities and ecological conditions affect politics.
--American Historical Review