This book explores the creation, experience, composition, and withdrawal of Charles II's military garrison and colony of Tangier in Morocco, between 1661 and 1684. It is based upon up-to-date research and mainly unpublished material.

"The story of the English occupation of Tangier in the reign of Charles II is to be found among hundreds of contemporary documents and letters, most of which have never been published. By far the most important source of information is the large collection of official correspondence preserved at the Public Record Office, under the heading "Colonial Office, 279", which contains many letters and reports written by the English Governors of Tangier between 1662-1684. The present work is based principally on these manuscript letters, from which a number of extracts are printed. Of many other valuable authorities, the most interesting, perhaps is a journal written at Tangier by John Luke ... this journal, which gives many details concerning social life, is, so far as I can ascertain, generally known"--Preface (p. vii).

This is an account of the British Army’s first major expedition abroad under Charles II in 1662, as he disastrously attempted to create a corner of the British Empire in North Africa.

In 1661 Portugal ceded Tangier to Charles II as part of Catherine of Braganza’s dowry settlement. Thus started the adventure known as ‘English Tangier’ whereby the Stuart monarch spent a king’s ransom defending a city perched precariously on the North African coast surrounded by hostile powers. Woven into the historical fabric of C17th, this is a compelling narrative history bringing to life the characters that comprised English Tangier, and the greed, ambition and religious fervour which drove the political manoeuvrings, ignited the emotions and produced acts of extreme heroism in the struggle to impose British rule on an alien culture. The book describes the surreal reality of life in Tangier, the Tangier Regiment, the developing army tradition of dashing gallantry and unselfish bravery, and other regiments holding the earliest battle honor – ‘Tangier’. It also highlights the actions of those who determined the development of the town and its eventual fate. We see the results of decisions made by Charles II and his brother the Duke of York (soon to be James II), the qaids and sultans of Morocco, the Spanish Duke of Medina, Samuel Pepys and the successive governors of Tangier.

Recent years have seen growing academic interest in England’s colonial venture in Tangier in the late seventeenth century, and the crucial role it played not only in influencing contemporary domestic politics in England, but also in shaping new imperial policies in the Mediterranean. This critical edition presents a remarkable collection of 18 Restoration pamphlets dealing with the English occupation of Tangier. In an extensive original introduction, Karim Bejjit narrates the various stages of the colonial venture in Tangier, and critically analyses both the British historiography and current scholarship on the subject. He provides an alternative reading of the Tangier episode, emphasising the Moroccan point of view and the significance of the local political agency. At the same time, as the author argues in the introduction, so intertwined were the affairs of the colony and the home country in 1680 that the political crisis which was then unfolding in England cannot be fully explained without acknowledging the impact of dramatic developments in Tangier. Despite their generic diversity, as Bejjit shows, the pamphlets in this collection share a common interest in the affairs of Tangier, and reflect the changing circumstances and shifting politics at home and in the colony. In bringing together these long forgotten narratives, this edition revives critical interest in the colonial adventure in Tangier which had considerable influence on the political scene in England. Read collectively, the texts offer a genuine glimpse into the colonial scene and the interplay of forces which governed English presence in Tangier.

Recent years have seen growing academic interest in England’s colonial venture in Tangier in the late seventeenth century, and the crucial role it played not only in influencing contemporary domestic politics in England, but also in shaping new imperial policies in the Mediterranean. This critical edition presents a remarkable collection of 18 Restoration pamphlets dealing with the English occupation of Tangier. In an extensive original introduction, Karim Bejjit narrates the various stages of the colonial venture in Tangier, and critically analyses both the British historiography and current scholarship on the subject. He provides an alternative reading of the Tangier episode, emphasising the Moroccan point of view and the significance of the local political agency. At the same time, as the author argues in the introduction, so intertwined were the affairs of the colony and the home country in 1680 that the political crisis which was then unfolding in England cannot be fully explained without acknowledging the impact of dramatic developments in Tangier. Despite their generic diversity, as Bejjit shows, the pamphlets in this collection share a common interest in the affairs of Tangier, and reflect the changing circumstances and shifting politics at home and in the colony. In bringing together these long forgotten narratives, this edition revives critical interest in the colonial adventure in Tangier which had considerable influence on the political scene in England. Read collectively, the texts offer a genuine glimpse into the colonial scene and the interplay of forces which governed English presence in Tangier.

The history of a fascinating campaign of the first years of the British Army In view of how significant the events of the time were to the development of the British Army, it is unusual that the story of the battles for Tangier during the 17th century is little known to students of military history. Positioned on the Moroccan coast of North Africa in the Mediterranean, at the point where the sea enters the Atlantic Ocean, the city offered enormous strategic potential for Charles II into whose possession it had come from the Portuguese as part of the dowry of his wife, Catherine of Braganza. Cromwell's superlative New Model Army had been recently disbanded and the need to defend Tangier against the native Moors (who took exception to the presence of European infidels on their shores) required the creation of new regiments of the crown. These regiments were the first in what became the regular British Army and their deeds were that army's first battle honours. This original Leonaur title brings together several historical overviews of the period combined with regimental accounts of the actions fought in Morocco and a first hand account by an officer who served through one of the final sieges of Tangier. The text is supported by useful maps and illustrations. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.