The present volume supersedes A History of the Maghrib which was first published in 1971 and of which a second edition appeared in 1975. In the fifteen years since this book was first published our knowledge of Maghribi history has advanced rapidly and new perspectives for interpreting it were opened by research in which Maghribi historians have participated in an outstanding way. During this time also my own understanding of the process of historical change has been transformed by greater experience in teaching and research. Consequently I felt that the book had to be rewritten instead of being merely revised. About half of the present volume has been newly written and the rest revised, in some cases extensively. The early Islamic period is treated in the new book more comprehensively than in the old one. The pre-Islamic period, in which I have always felt an intruder, has been omitted. The new volume also differs from the previous one in that the post-independence period has been included, if only in an epilogue.

The problem of spelling place and personal names, with which I was confronted at the time of writing A History of the Maghrib, remains one for which no completely satisfactory solution can be found. This problem arose from the fact that the writing of place and personal names in this region has been much influenced by peculiarities in the languages of its various conquerors.