This engaging memoir recounts a childhood under French colonization and a life committed to the freedom and dignity of the Algerian people. Born in 1935 as the youngest of six in a butcher's family, Mokhtar Mokhtefi grew up in a "village de colonization" near Algiers. With the support of a dedicated teacher, he became the only sibling to attend high school at a French lycée, which shaped his views on Algerian independence. At twenty-two, he joined the National Liberation Army (ALN), the military branch of the National Liberation Front (FLN), which had been fighting against French rule since 1954. After rigorous training in radio transmissions in Morocco, he became an officer in the Ministère de l'Armement et des Liaisons Générales (MALG), a precursor to Algeria's post-independence Military Security. Mokhtefi's memoir highlights the extraordinary individuals who fought for Algeria's independence against a colonial regime that regarded non-Europeans as inferior, labeling them "French Muslims." He offers a nuanced and deeply personal perspective on Algeria's journey to independence, exploring both its opportunities and challenges.
