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Making Morocco: Colonial Intervention and the Politics of Identity
"There is no question that the value of a detailed account of Moroccan colonial history in English is an important addition to the field, and Wyrtzen's book will undoubtedly become a reference for Moroccan, North African, and Middle Eastern historians alike."―American Historical Review
Jonathan Wyrtzen's Making Morocco is an extraordinary work of social science history. Making Morocco’s historical coverage is remarkably thorough and sweeping; the author exhibits incredible scope in his research and mastery of an immensely rich set of materials from poetry to diplomatic messages in a variety of languages across a century of history.
The monograph engages with the most important theorists of nationalism, colonialism, and state formation, and uses Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory as a framework to orient and organize the socio-historical problems of the case and to make sense of the different types of problems various actors faced as they moved forward.
His analysis makes constant reference to core categories of political sociology state, nation, political field, religious and political authority, identity and social boundaries, classification struggles, etc., and he does so in exceptionally clear and engaging prose. Rather than sidelining what might appear to be more tangential themes in the politics of identity formation in Morocco, Wyrtzen examines deeply not only French colonialism but also the Spanish zone, and he makes central to his analysis the Jewish question and the role of gender. These areas of analysis allow Wyrtzen to examine his outcome of interest—which is really a historical process of interest—from every conceivable analytical and empirical angle. The end-product is an absolutely exemplary study of colonialism, identity formation, and the classification struggles that accompany them.
This is not a work of high-brow social theory, but a classic work of history, deeply influenced but not excessively burdened by social-theoretical baggage.
Jonathan Wyrtzen's Making Morocco is an extraordinary work of social science history. Making Morocco’s historical coverage is remarkably thorough and sweeping; the author exhibits incredible scope in his research and mastery of an immensely rich set of materials from poetry to diplomatic messages in a variety of languages across a century of history.
The monograph engages with the most important theorists of nationalism, colonialism, and state formation, and uses Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory as a framework to orient and organize the socio-historical problems of the case and to make sense of the different types of problems various actors faced as they moved forward.
His analysis makes constant reference to core categories of political sociology state, nation, political field, religious and political authority, identity and social boundaries, classification struggles, etc., and he does so in exceptionally clear and engaging prose. Rather than sidelining what might appear to be more tangential themes in the politics of identity formation in Morocco, Wyrtzen examines deeply not only French colonialism but also the Spanish zone, and he makes central to his analysis the Jewish question and the role of gender. These areas of analysis allow Wyrtzen to examine his outcome of interest—which is really a historical process of interest—from every conceivable analytical and empirical angle. The end-product is an absolutely exemplary study of colonialism, identity formation, and the classification struggles that accompany them.
This is not a work of high-brow social theory, but a classic work of history, deeply influenced but not excessively burdened by social-theoretical baggage.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 2, 2025
“God, Nation, King” can be seen written across many hillsides throughout Morocco in giant (Arabic) letters. This statement affirming Moroccan identity and values begs an analysis that Wyrtzen provides.
I’ve called books academic in the past. ‘Making Morocco’ is not a book which uses academic language, it is an academic book. It reads more like prescribed reading for a university course than an analysis provided for casual audiences. This is seen through its constant attempts to summarise and preface its content in every chapter, and through an intense degree of footnoting only found in books intended to be referenced by other books. I have not read something like this since university, and I have never read an equivalent book on a subject I am not already familiar with. This threw me into the deep end of a field of study (anthropology) I know none of the jargon for.
I almost put this book down after the first few pages when I understood its nature, but I am very glad I did not. I constantly underestimate how primed I am to enjoy dense non-fiction analytical works. ‘Making Morocco’ was a phenomenal companion piece to my own exploration of the country, and despite the density and terminology I found it surprisingly accessible.
The book examines how modern Moroccan identity (encompassing Amazign/Berbers, Arabs, Jews and women) did not simply survive colonialism, but was largely defined by it. The Berber Crisis, the Rif War, and the involvement of Jewish minorities and women in the forging of a Moroccan identity under the French Protectorate is each given an in-depth look.
The structured language of political fields were fascinatingly coherent frameworks that I will use in future when organising my thoughts on political struggles. The various fields which were constructed and contested were easily analysed by Wyrtzen through this mode of thought.
Additionally, ‘Making Morocco’ is insightful in its analysis of the lionising of the monarchy by competing French and Moroccan Nationalists in a battle to co-opt or liberate Moroccan identity. The luck, machinations and manoeuvres of the Moroccan royal family to survive colonisation and decolonisation, and maintain and create genuine control rather than merely symbolic power is unpacked and presented in great depth.
I prefer to read local perspectives when learning about places, but I struggled to find one that had been translated in preparation for my trip. The insurmountably deep well of Moroccan sources cited in this work alleviated some of my uncertainty in picking this book.
Some points of friction in this book for me include the limited detail on the extractive value France got from the Moroccan protectorate. Wyrtzen explains why the protectorate model as opposed to the territorial expansion as seen in Algeria was used, and gives great depth into France’s colonial policy both in Morocco and in Algeria. However I found the overall driving purpose and internal justification of France’s colonisation of Morocco less clear.
Another area I found unsatisfactory was the vagueness in how he describes the ‘Arab-Zionist’ disputes in Palestine. This felt like an attempt to obfuscate or push this question of genocide outside the scope of this work. It was not a predominant feature of the book, but when Palestine was discussed the attention to detail was uncharacteristically absent.
Wyrtzen’s provides an incredible deep analysis of the anthropological factors at play in the French colonial period in Morocco. I put this book down with an incredibly rich appreciation for Moroccan history. 4.5 stars.
I’ve called books academic in the past. ‘Making Morocco’ is not a book which uses academic language, it is an academic book. It reads more like prescribed reading for a university course than an analysis provided for casual audiences. This is seen through its constant attempts to summarise and preface its content in every chapter, and through an intense degree of footnoting only found in books intended to be referenced by other books. I have not read something like this since university, and I have never read an equivalent book on a subject I am not already familiar with. This threw me into the deep end of a field of study (anthropology) I know none of the jargon for.
I almost put this book down after the first few pages when I understood its nature, but I am very glad I did not. I constantly underestimate how primed I am to enjoy dense non-fiction analytical works. ‘Making Morocco’ was a phenomenal companion piece to my own exploration of the country, and despite the density and terminology I found it surprisingly accessible.
The book examines how modern Moroccan identity (encompassing Amazign/Berbers, Arabs, Jews and women) did not simply survive colonialism, but was largely defined by it. The Berber Crisis, the Rif War, and the involvement of Jewish minorities and women in the forging of a Moroccan identity under the French Protectorate is each given an in-depth look.
The structured language of political fields were fascinatingly coherent frameworks that I will use in future when organising my thoughts on political struggles. The various fields which were constructed and contested were easily analysed by Wyrtzen through this mode of thought.
Additionally, ‘Making Morocco’ is insightful in its analysis of the lionising of the monarchy by competing French and Moroccan Nationalists in a battle to co-opt or liberate Moroccan identity. The luck, machinations and manoeuvres of the Moroccan royal family to survive colonisation and decolonisation, and maintain and create genuine control rather than merely symbolic power is unpacked and presented in great depth.
I prefer to read local perspectives when learning about places, but I struggled to find one that had been translated in preparation for my trip. The insurmountably deep well of Moroccan sources cited in this work alleviated some of my uncertainty in picking this book.
Some points of friction in this book for me include the limited detail on the extractive value France got from the Moroccan protectorate. Wyrtzen explains why the protectorate model as opposed to the territorial expansion as seen in Algeria was used, and gives great depth into France’s colonial policy both in Morocco and in Algeria. However I found the overall driving purpose and internal justification of France’s colonisation of Morocco less clear.
Another area I found unsatisfactory was the vagueness in how he describes the ‘Arab-Zionist’ disputes in Palestine. This felt like an attempt to obfuscate or push this question of genocide outside the scope of this work. It was not a predominant feature of the book, but when Palestine was discussed the attention to detail was uncharacteristically absent.
Wyrtzen’s provides an incredible deep analysis of the anthropological factors at play in the French colonial period in Morocco. I put this book down with an incredibly rich appreciation for Moroccan history. 4.5 stars.
October 28, 2019
I bought this book as soon as I got back from a 2-week, 3400-km trip around Morocco. It answered a lot of questions I had. Most interesting to me: How Mohamed V managed to hold onto the throne during the French protectorate and reclaim it after his exile; the relationship between Berbers and Arabs; why the Moroccan Jewish community almost entirely emigrated after hundreds of years of generally peaceful coexistence.
The book delivered more than I bargained for. It’s not a linear, “great man” history of the country during the French intervention. It’s more of a political science investigation of the interaction of colonialist and nationalist forces. It explains how the French and the nationalists used ethnicity (Arab, Berber, Jewish), religion (Islam, Judaism) and gender to define Moroccan identity and compete for control. It also explains how and why Tunisia and Algeria ended up with very different political outcomes.
The one problem I had with the book was the author’s fairly heavy usage of academic jargon. I struggled with it at first, but eventually got used to it.
The book delivered more than I bargained for. It’s not a linear, “great man” history of the country during the French intervention. It’s more of a political science investigation of the interaction of colonialist and nationalist forces. It explains how the French and the nationalists used ethnicity (Arab, Berber, Jewish), religion (Islam, Judaism) and gender to define Moroccan identity and compete for control. It also explains how and why Tunisia and Algeria ended up with very different political outcomes.
The one problem I had with the book was the author’s fairly heavy usage of academic jargon. I struggled with it at first, but eventually got used to it.
December 13, 2022
i know this book's structure more than i know myself.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews