This narrative follows the rise and fall of English Tangier, ceded to Charles II in 1661 as part of Catherine of Braganza’s dowry. Set amid the political volatility of the 17th century, it reveals a colony sustained at enormous cost, hemmed in by Moroccan powers, Spanish ambitions, and the shifting priorities of the Stuart court. Through vivid portraits of soldiers, governors, courtiers, Moroccan rulers, and observers like Samuel Pepys, the story exposes the ambitions, corruption, religious zeal, and fierce loyalties that shaped the settlement’s brief, turbulent life. The book captures the strange mix of heroism and hardship that defined the Tangier garrison—home to early British battle honours—and traces how decisions in London, Madrid, and Morocco ultimately sealed the colony’s fate.
