Virginia Thompson and Richard Adloff were acknowledged authorities on African affairs and published extensively on the region.

Reviews of the first publication:‘… this is an important and interesting book, a welcome addition to the sparse literature on the area.’— Peter Sluglett, International Affairs, Volume 57, Issue 3‘Virginia Thompson and Richard Adloff provide useful insights into the political and social history of each of the four North-West African states, especially during the colonial and post-colonial periods.’— F. Ugboaja Ohaegbulam, The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 22, No. 4

• Introduction 1. Mauritania 2. The Spanish Sahara 3. Morocco 4. The Polisario Front and the Partition 5. The War’s Repercussions on Mauritania and Morocco Annex: Transfrontier Tribes