
Destination Casablanca
Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $35.09
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Matthew Waterson
-
By:
-
Meredith Hindley
This rollicking and panoramic history of Casablanca during the Second World War sheds light on the city as a key hub for European and American powers, and a place where spies, soldiers, and political agents exchanged secrets and vied for control. In November 1942, as a part of Operation Torch, 33,000 American soldiers sailed undetected across the Atlantic and stormed the beaches of French Morocco. Seventy-four hours later, the Americans controlled the country and one of the most valuable wartime ports: Casablanca.
In the years preceding, Casablanca had evolved from an exotic travel destination to a key military target after France's surrender to Germany. Jewish refugees from Europe poured in, hoping to obtain visas and passage to the United States and beyond. Nazi agents and collaborators infiltrated the city in search of power and loyalty. The resistance was not far behind, as shopkeepers, celebrities, former French Foreign Legionnaires, and disgruntled bureaucrats formed a network of Allied spies. But once in American hands, Casablanca became a crucial logistical hub in the fight against Germany - and the site of Roosevelt and Churchill's demand for "unconditional surrender."
Rife with rogue soldiers, power grabs, and diplomatic intrigue, Destination Casablanca is the riveting and untold story of this glamorous city - memorialized in the classic film that was rush-released in 1942 to capitalize on the drama that was unfolding in North Africa at the heart of World War II.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2017 Meredith Hindley (P)2017 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Compulsively readable, deeply engrossing new history... The charmed classic made in Hollywood's dream factories and the granular history recounted in Hindley's superb book fundamentally complement each other, entertaining and instructing us with their timeless tales of political intrigue, moral compromise, acts of courage and cowardice." (New Republic)
"As entertaining as it is informative." (Galveston County Daily News)
Excellent!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A highlight on WWII in North Africa
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great history
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The main line of the book is clear, sometimes I would have liked it to focus more on the broader war aspects, but -true to its title- it focuses often on local aspects and individuals, occasionally with details that l found slightly less exciting. This is why I rank ik 4 out of 5 stars. I do recommend it to anyone really interested in WW2 in North Africa, but especially if you have already read an overview book on this, e.g. the excellent An Army at Dawn by Atkinson.
Finally, the reading was very pleasant a clear 5*. Overall I give it a 4.5* evaluation, but I can only do that in this written review.
Highly detailed book on not well-known aspect of WW2
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well Researched History Well Narrated
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Extremely Interesting
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
(1) The Arab population of Casablanca is a missing character: Moroccan Jews are reported, although the main characters are the French living in Morocco, along with other nationalities like Germans, Americans, etc.
(2) Many French name are not read correctly: for instance Charles Noguès is pronounced Nogwé.
Enjoyable and informative
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A city of intrigue
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beyond Bogart and Bacall
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
FILM FANS WILL BE FASCINATED BY THE REAL STORY
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.