A wealth of historical writing dealing with the Maghrib (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya) has been published during the roughly forty years since European colonial control ended in the region. This book provides a "state of the field" survey of this postcolonial Maghribi historiography.

The book contains thirteen essays by leading Maghribi and North American scholars. The first section surveys the Maghrib as a whole; the second focuses on individual countries of the Maghrib; and the third explores theoretical issues and case studies. Cutting across chronological categories, the book encompasses historiographical writing dealing with all eras, from the ancient Maghrib to the contemporary period.

• Preface and Acknowledgments
• Introduction: Wilfrid J. Rollman, Harvard University
• Part 1: Reconnoitering the Terrain
  • 1. Maghrib Historiography: The Unit of Analysis Problem. L. Carl Brown, Princeton University
  • 2. Reflections on the Historiography of the Ancient Maghrib. Ammar Mahjoubi, Université de Tunis
  • 3. Thirty Years of Research on the History of the Medieval Maghrib. Mounira Chapoutot-Remadi, Université de Tunis
  • 4. Some Reflections on Recent Trends in the Study of Modern North African History. Wilfrid J. Rollman, Harvard University
• Part 2: Modern History and Historiography
  • 5. Algerian Historiography in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries: From Chronicle to History. Houari Touati, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris)
  • 6. Forging the Nation-State: Some Issues in the Historiography of Modern Libya. Michel Le Gall, St. Olaf College
  • 7. Moroccan Historiography since Independence. Mohamed El Mansour, Université Mohammed V
  • 8. Recent Historiography of the Colonial Period in North Africa: The "Copernican Revolution" and Beyond. Kenneth Perkins, University of South Carolina
  • 9. Scholars and Politicians: An Examination of the Algerian View of Algerian Nationalism. Omar Carlier, Centre de Recherches Africaines (Université de Paris)
• Part 3: Theoretical Issues and Case Studies
  • 10. Rereading Medieval Sources through Multidisciplinary Glasses. Ronald A. Messier, Middle Tennessee State University
  • 11. The Eighteenth Century: A Poor Relation in the Historiography of Morocco. Abderrahmane El Moudden, Al-Akhawayn University
  • 12. An Aspect of Tunisian Historiography in the Modern and Contemporary Periods: Research in the Notarial Archives. Sami Bergaoui, Université de Tunis
  • 13. The Maghrib and the Mediterranean World in the Nineteenth Century: Illicit Exchanges, Migrants, and Social Marginals. Julia Clancy-Smith, University of Arizona
• Conclusion: Toward an Authentic and Balanced Historical Perspective
• Contributors to this Collection
• List of Abbreviations