DestCasablanca_8“Compulsively readable, deeply engrossing … 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.” —THE NEW REPUBLIC

“A compelling read, packed with a Casablanca-worthy cast of characters and a penetrating look at the inside workings of Vichy France…History buffs will love the colorful stories and the grand geopolitical scheming.”—FOREIGN POLICY

“With its lively storytelling and impressive scholarship, ‘Destination Casablanca’ succeeds as a thorough and highly engaging chronicle of the French Moroccan theater of war.”—WASHINGTON POST

“Hindley delivers what could become the definitive account of Casablanca during World War II… The book should prove indispensable to scholars… Expertly researched and absorbing.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“This is a book for historians, not film buffs… Digging deep into military archives in Britain, France and the U.S., Ms. Hindley has produced a scholarly narrative, weaving her way deftly among a large cast of characters, both familiar and unfamiliar.” —WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Hindley’s warm, detailed writing style portrays the determination and resources that America brought to Casablanca, the continuing plight of refugees, the stirrings of Moroccan nationalism, and the moving saga of American singer Josephine Baker’s support for a free France. Extensively researched, this account is rife with personal accounts, political and diplomatic insights, and vivid depictions of the military process. Recommended for history buffs who will relish the author’s skilled presentation of a little-known theater in World War II.”—LIBRARY JOURNAL

“A fine and faithful work of historical reconstruction.”—BOOKLIST

“Hindley’s focus on the people involved, and the stresses which compelled them to act as they did, drive this story so that it reads more like an action-packed novel than a historical documentary. So captivating is her work, Hindley might inspire yet another film on what really happened in Casablanca.”—SEATTLE BOOK REVIEW 

“A fulcrum of history—wartime Casablanca—jumps to life in Meredith Hindley’s masterful page-turner. Spies, jazz legends, generals, traitors, writers, war icons and assassins light up a tale of high-stakes intrigue in one of the world’s great exotic settings.”—JONATHAN W. JORDAN, bestselling author of Brothers, Rivals, Victors: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley and the Partnership that Drove the Allied Conquest in Europe


“Meredith Hindley deftly weaves together a history of the city of Casablanca and the events leading to the Anglo-American invasion and conquest of Northwest Africa in 1942-1943. Fascinating characters such as performer Josephine Baker and writer Arthur Koestler, along with a multitude of refugees, spies, and resistance fighters give her account unusual texture and variety. A great read.”—RICHARD BREITMAN, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, American University

“A fascinating look into the reality of a complicated political situation that inspired a classic.” —SHEPHERD EXPRESS

“’Destination Casablanca’ is a book written for those who like intrigue-filled history. It is as entertaining as it is informative.”—GALVESTON COUNTY DAILY NEWS

Image: Hollywood news stand by William Reagh, Los Angeles Public Library