The following is a selection of the most useful titles, although some are unfortunately out of print. Most of the English-language guides in print are obtainable from Cordee (3a De Montfort St, Leicester, LE1 7HD) while most of the current French guidebook titles are available in Marrakech bookshops or at the CAF refuge in Oukaïmeden. AMIS (26 Kirkcaldy Road, Burntisland, Fife KY3 9HQ) may also have some titles in stock, both new and secondhand. Dates given are first editions unless otherwise stated.
Abun-Nasr, J. M. (1971) A History of the Maghrib. CUP.
Aitchison, C. (1994) High Alpines of Morocco. The Rock Garden, vol 23. Scottish Rock Garden Club.
Arama, M. (1991) Itinéraires Marocaînes Regards de Peintres. Jaguar. (Illustrated artists’ Who’s Who)
Barbour, N. (1965) Morocco. Thames & Hudson. (The best history, sadly out of print)
Barton, T. (1980) The Storyteller of Marrakech. Evans Bros. (Folk tales)
Beetham, B. (1952) Haut Atlas. Fell & Rock CC Journal.
Bergier, P. and E. (1990) A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Morocco. Prion. (The most useful work)
Bernezat, O. (1987) Hommes et Vallées du Haut-Atlas. Éditions Glénat. (Bou Guemez, good illustrations)
Bertrand, R. (1977) Tribus Berbères du Haut Atlas. Edita Vita. (Expert early photography)
Bidwell, M. and R. (1992) Morocco, The Travellers’ Companion. Tauris. (Anthology of writing)
Blunt, W. (1951) Black Sunrise. Methuen. (Moulay Ismaïl)
Borgé, J. and Viasnoff, N. (1995) Archives du Maroc. Éditions Trinckvel. (Old photos/post cards)
Brown, H. M. (1966) The High Atlas in Winter. Alpine Journal, Vol LXXI, pg 43.
Brown, H. M. (1966) Return to the Atlas. Alpine Journal, Vol LXXI, pg 275.
Brown, H. M. (1967) A Hard Day’s Night. Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal. (Winter ascent of Aksoual)
Brown, H. M. (1987) The Ridge of Dreams. Alpine Journal, pg 275 (Zat traverse)
Brown, H. M. (1990) Sirwa: Making Siccar. Climber & Hillwalker. September 1990. (Jbel Sirwa)
Brown, H. M. (1991) The Wonder Walk. Climber & Hillwalker. October 1991. (Tichka Plateau to Toubkal trek)
Brown, H. M. (2001)T to T in the Anti-Atlas. TGO. October 2001. (End-to-end trek)
Burckhardt, T. (1992) Fez, City of Islam. Islamic Texts Society. (See also Moorish Culture in Spain)
Burollet, T. (1990) De l’Empire Romain aux Villes Impériales. Musée de Petit Palais, Paris. (600 years of art)
Carrier, R. (1987) Taste of Morocco. Century. (Mouth-watering; now sadly out of print but 2 small booklets can usually be found locally: Bennani-Smirès: Moroccan Cooking and Benkirane: Moroccan Cooking, The Best Recipes)
Chenier, M. (1788) The Present State of the Empire of Morocco. London.
Chimenti, E. (1965) Tales & Legends of Morocco. Obdensky.
Clarke, B. (1959) Berber Village. Longman. (Village life)
Cliff, P. (1987) Ski Mountaineering. Unwin Hyman. (Moroccan haute route)
Collomb, R. G. (1980) Atlas Mountains of Morocco. West Col. (Toubkal massif)
Courtney-Clarke, M. (1996) lmazighen. Thames & Hudson. (Study/photos of Berber women’s lives)
Davies, C. (2004) Climbing in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas. Cicerone Press. (Rock climbing guide)
De Amicis, E. (1882) Morocco: Its People and Places. Cassell, Petter and Galpin. (Early travels)
Dennis, L. and L. (1992) Living in Morocco. Thames & Hudson. (Interiors, etc)
Dickinson, M. (1991) Long Distance Walks in North Africa. Crowood. (Some Morocco)
Domenech, B. (1989) Le Maroc. Éditions Denoël. (Big format, pictures, maps, etc. for much of the Atlas)
Dresch, J. and de Lepinèy, J. (1938) Le Massif du Toubkal. Rabat Service du Tourisme. (A reproduction of the 1942 edition is now available)
Eitzen, D. and Khaji, M. (1991) Agadir and Anti Atlas. Éditions LIF. (Useful guide)
Ellingham, M., McVeigh, S. and Jacobs, D. (2004) The Rough Guide to Morocco. 7th Edition. Rough Guides. (The most practical general work, regularly updated)
Epton, N. (1958) Saints & Sorcerers:A Moroccan Journey. Cassell. (Travel/folk study)
Etchécopar, R. D. and Huie, F. (1967) The Birds of North Africa. Oliver & Boyd.
Everyman Guide: Morocco (1994) Dorling Kindersley. (Exhaustive, colourful work)
Fletcher, R. (1994) Moorish Spain. Phoenix. (Enjoyable history)
Fougerolles, A. (1981) Le Haut Atlas Central. CAF Casablanca. (Maps and illustrations)
Fougerolles, A. (1991) Le Haut Atlas. Éditions Glénat. (Large format, maps, pictures)
Freud, E. (1992) Hideous Kinky. Penguin. (Sixties setting, fiction; delightful film)
Galley, H. (2004) Montagnes du Maroc. Olizane (Good trekking/ski guide)
Gellner, E. (1969) Saints of the Atlas. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. (Z. Ahansal study)
Gilbert, R. (1979) Young Explorers. Smith, York. (Chapter on school Atlas expedition)
Goodwin, G. (1990) Islamic Spain. Viking. (Architectural guide)
Graham, R. B. Cunninghame (1898) Magreb-el-Acksa. Heinemann. (Visit to the Nfis)
Hargraves, O. (1995) Culture Shock. Kuperard. (Customs and etiquette)
Harris, W. B. (1921) Morocco That Was. Blackwood. (Reprinted by Eland Books)
Harris, W. B. (1895) Tafilet. Blackwood. (Early Atlas crossing)
Hedgecoe J. and Damluji S. S. (1992) Zillij, the Art of Moroccan Ceramics. Garnet Publishing.
Heinzel, H., Fitter, R. and Parslow, J. (1995) Birds of Britain & Europe with North Africa & The Middle East. Collins. (The best field guide; regularly updated)
Hooker, J. D. and Ball, J. (1878) Journal of a Tour in Marocco and the Great Atlas. Macmillan. (Early AC/botanists trip, still interesting)
Horne, J. (1925) Many Days in Morocco. McBride. (Fine B & W photographs)
Huet, K. and Lamazou T. (1988) Sous Les Toits de Terre. Belvisi. (Berber décor/architecture)
Huet, K. and Lamazou T. (1990) Un Hiver Berbère. Belvisi-Jeanne Laffitte. (Drawings of Bou Guemez)
Hughes, Richard (1979) In the Lap of Atlas. Chatto & Windus. (Hotchpotch of stories)
Ingram, J. (1952) The Land of Mud Castles. J. Long. (Wandering afoot, pre-war)
Jackson, J. (ed.) (2006) Trekking Atlas of the World. New Holland. (Includes Tichka Plateau to Toubkal trek)
Jereb, J. F. (2001) Arts & Crafts of Morocco. Thames & Hudson.
Kay, Shirley (1980) Morocco. Quartet. (Good pictures and text)
Keohan, A. (1991) The Berbers of Morocco. Hamilton. (A pictorial celebration)
Kininmonth, C. (1986) Travellers’ Guide to Morocco. Cape. (Strong on history)
Knight, R. (2001) Trekking in the Moroccan Atlas. Trailblazer. (Toubkal, M’Goun, Sirwa, Sahro routes)
Landau, R (1969) The Kasbahs of Southern Morocco. Faber.
Légey, F. (1935) The Folklore of Morocco. Allen and Unwin.
Lewalle, J. and Montfort, N. (1997) Fleurs Sauvage du Maroc. Rossdorf.
Lithgow, W (1640) Rare Adventures and Paineful Peregrinations.
Lovatt-Smith, L. (1995) Moroccan Interiors. Tachen.
Maalouf, A. (1988) Leo the African. Quartet. (Historical fiction)
Mailly, R. (1964) Villes et Montagnes Marocaines. Éditions la Porte.
Mardaga, P. (1999) Le Grand Livre de La Forêt Marocaine. Mardaga, Belgium.
Maxwell, G. (1966) Lords of the Atlas. Longmans. (A sumptuous illustrated edit from Cassell, 2000; also Eland paperback: a classic study of pre-independence history)
McGuinness, J. (2001) Marrakech and the High Atlas Handbook. Footprint Guides.
Meakin, Budgett (1899) The Moorish Empire. Swan, Sonnenschein and Co.
Meakin, Budgett (1901) The Land of the Moors. Swan, Sonnenschein and Co.
Meakin, Budgett (1902) The Moors. Swan, Sonnenschein and Co.
Meakin, Budgett (1905) Life in Morocco. Chatto & Windus. (Four athoritative, readable studies)
Melville, J. (1991) James McBey’s Morocco. Harper Collins.
Mernissi, Fatima (1994) The Harem Within, Tales of a Moroccan Childhood. Bantam.
Michelin Guide de Tourisme: Maroc. (Always useful)
Miège, J.-L. (1952) Morocco. Arthaud. (English text, superb photos)
Milet, E. (2003) Guide des Merveilles de la Nature, Maroc. Arthaud.
Mill, D. (1973) The Crossing of Ighil M’Goun. Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal. (Winter traverse)
Miller, J. A. (1984) Imlil:A Moroccan Mountain Community in Change. West View Press.
Milton, G. (2004) White Gold. Hodder and Stoughton (Thomas Pellow story)
Morris, C. L. (1931) (translated from original text by Celarié, H.) Behind Moroccan Walls. Macmillan Press (Short stories)
Mririda n’ Aït Attik (1986) Les Chants de la Tassaout. Éditions Belvisi. (Poems/photographs)
Noyce, W. (1962) Climbing Solo in the High Atlas. Alpine Journal.
Oussaïd, B. (1989) Mountains Forgotten by God. Three Continents Press. (Berber life)
Paccard, A. (1980) Traditional Islamic Crafts in Moroccan Architecture. 2 Volumes. Atelier.
Parker, R. (1981) A Practical Guide to Islamic Monuments in Morocco. Baraka. (The best guide/survey)
Pellow, T. (1740) The Adventures of Thomas Pellow. (see also Milton)
Pennell, C. R. (2000) Morocco Since 1830. Hurst & Co.
Peyron, M. (1989–90) Great Atlas Traverse. Vol 1: Moussa Gorges to Ayt Bou Wgemmaz; Vol 2: Ayt Bou Wgemmaz to Midelt. West Col Publications. (The most comprehensive and essential guide to the Atlas)
Pickens S., Richer X. and Renaudeau, M. (1993) Le Sud Marocain. ACR Éditions. (The best of the big general picture books.)
Ploquin P., Peuriot F. and Hassar-Benslimane J. (1992) Maroc: Faune et Grands Espaces. Daniel Briand. (Wildlife, pictures)
Porch, D. (1986) The Conquest of Morocco. Cape. (Turn-of-century history)
Randonnées Pédestres dans le Massif du M’Goun. (1989) Belvisi-Edisud. (Small guide, useful maps)
Rauzier, M.-P., Tréal, C. and Ruiz, J.-M. (1998) Tableau du Haut Atlas Marocain. Arthaud
Rogerson, B. (1989) Morocco. Cadogan Guides. (Comprehensive background)
Rogerson, B. (1998) A Traveller’s History of North Africa. Interlink.
Rogerson, B. (ed.) (2001) North Africa Travel. Sickle Moon.
Rogerson, B. and Lavington S. (eds.) (2003) Marrakech:The Red City. Sickle Moon. (Anthology)
Salkeld, A. (ed.) (1998) World Mountaineering. Mitchell Beazley. (Includes Toubkal survey)
Searight, S. and Hourbette, D. (1992) Gravures Rupestres du Haut Atlas. Editions Belvisi. (Excellent guide to prehistoric carvings)
Selous, R. (1956) Appointment to Fez. 1956. Richards Press. (Personal and historical)
Shepherd, M. (1990) Let’s Look at Southern Morocco. Ornitholidays Guide.
Sijelmassi, M. (1986) Les Arts Traditionnels au Maroc. ACR: Vilo
Smith, K. (2004) Trekking the Atlas Mountains. Cicerone Press. (Toubkal, M’Goun, Sahro)
Spencer, W. (1980) Historical Dictionary of Morocco. Scarecrow Press.
Teuler, M. (1986) Aït Imi, Morocco of the Heights. Edition Soden. (Bou Guemez)
Thévenot, M., Vernon, R. and Bergier, P. (2002) The Birds of Morocco. BOU/BOC. (Definitive tome)
Thomson, J. (1889) Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco. Longmans. (Early explorations)
Triki, H., Hassar-Benslimane, J. and Touri, A. (1992) Tinmal: L’Epopée Almohade. Foundation Ona.
Watt, W. M. and Cachia, P. (1977) A History of Islamic Spain. EUP.
Weir, T. (1994) Weir’s World, An Autobiography of Sorts. Canongate. (Chapter on the Atlas).
Weir, T. (1957) Spring Climbs in the High Atlas. Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal.
Westermark, E. (1926) Ritual and belief in Morocco (2 volumes). Macmillan.
Westermark, E. (1930) Wit and wisdom in Morocco: A study of native proverbs. Routeledge.
Windo, P. (2005) Zohra’s Ladder. Eye Books.
Wolfert, P. (1987) Cous Cous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Murray.
Wyatt, C. (1952) The Call of the Mountains. Thames & Hudson. (Chapter on Toubkal/ M’Goun).
Alpine Journal Early mountain doings by: Ball (vol 6, 1872–74), J de Lépiney 1928, Pollitzer-Polenghi 1933, Noyce 1962, Brown 1966.
Artists including Matisse, Majorelle, Delacroix, McBey, have books on their Moroccan work, else see Arama.
Carpets, textiles and costumes have several excellent volumes available.
Cookery books: see Carrier
Folklore stories: volumes in French are plentiful and there are several (French language) tapes.
Gardens have several illustrated works: Maroc en Fleurs, Jardins du Maroc among the best.
La Montagne (CAF) has many references; some of the more important are: July 1929; Dec 68; Feb 71; 1973 no. 2; 1977 no. 1; 1981 no. 2; 1985 no. 4; 1986 no. 4; 1989 no. 1.
M’Goun Massif, Central High Atlas (1994) 1:100 000 Map/Guide. West Col Productions.
Moroccan fiction is dominated by Paul Bowles translations of the rather grim writings of Mohammed Mrabet, Mohamed Choukri and Larbi Layachi. Other well-known authors are Driss Chraibi, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Fatima Mernissi. (Titles listed in Rough Guide)