Roland lebel: The French travelers to Morocco. Moroccan Exoticism in Travel Naratives, Roland le bel (Paris: Colonial and Orientalist Bookstore Larose, 1936), 406p.

Abstract

French Travelers to Morocco: Moroccan Exoticism in Travel Narratives by Roland Lebel (1936) is an important historical source as it lays very significant historical, political, social and cultural events. It provides accounts on almost all the French travels from the fifteenth century to the beginning f the twentieth century. Despite the author’s background as a lecturer in the Higher Institute of Moroccan Studies whose main concern was to train officials who would serve in the colonial administration later, this book remains an unavoidable reference for researchers in the field of humanities namely in history and anthropology. In this book, Roland Lebel explores many travel narratives and unveils different delicate topics related to the political life in Morocco, the conflict over power, the private life of the Sultans (kings), the conditions of minority groups like Jews, war prisoners, and the oppressed. He also draws a comparison between the situation in Morocco and the Mediterranean area regarding the issues of peace and safety for sailors especially with the growing danger that was intrigued by the pirates from the Moroccan coast of Sali. However, this book should be read with a critical mind as it was written during the French colonialism of Morocco