Albert Camus the Algerian
Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice

By refusing to accept that the sacrifice of innocent human lives can ever be justified, even in the pursuit of noble political goals, and by rejecting simple, ideological binaries (West vs. East, Christian vs. Muslim, "us" vs. "them," good vs. evil), Camus' work offers an alternative to the stark choices that characterized his troubled times and continue to define our own. "What they didn't like, was the Algerian, in him," Camus wrote of his fictional double in The First Man. Not only should "the Algerian" in Camus be "liked," Carroll argues, but the Algerian dimensions of his literary and political texts constitute a crucial part of their continuing interest. Carroll's reading also shows why Camus' critical perspective has much to contribute to contemporary debates stemming from the global "war on terror."

Preface. A Voice from the PastAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. "The Algerian" in Camus1. The Place of the Other2. Colonial Borders3. Exile4. Justice or Death?5. Terror6. Anguish7. Last WordsConclusion. Terrorism and Torture: From Algeria to IraqNotesIndex