The Barbarians: Myth and Reality

In this book, "Les Barbaresques: Le Mythe et la Réalité" by S.E Zaimeche Al-Djazairi, the author sets the record straight about the historical truth surrounding the era of the "Barbary pirates." These infamous sea bandits were believed to have ruthlessly plundered the Mediterranean for three centuries, devastating European coasts, and capturing more than one million white and Christian slaves. The author places the Barbary pirates in their historical context, that of the Crusade spirit's impulse on Christian piracy and countless attacks against Muslim shores and ships dating back to the Middle Ages, with the stated goal of crippling the Islamic civilization's economy, a method that was theorized at the highest levels. The author also recounts the many pre-colonial crusades and expeditions against Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco, reminding us that the struggle of the Maghreb's great admirals, a gallery of colorful figures where the Barberousse brothers occupy a prominent place, was primarily a resistance to the conqueror's push of Western Christianity into North Africa, a survival of Islam in the region, which was threatened by Spanish armies. Finally, the author revisits the many myths, lies, and propagandist manipulations surrounding this historical subject, particularly those related to slavery and the treatment of captives on both sides of the Mediterranean.