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Liked It “THE definitive book on the history of the Middle East and especially Palestine and Jerusalem. After reading this well-researched book, you'll understand why there is still so much acrimony among Muslims, among Jews and between the two cultures. It is learned and goes back thousands of years.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This is a gripping history of one of the worlds truly great cities, wonderful reading. I have struggled to put this book down!”
B Dyer wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“THE definitive book on the history of the Middle East and especially Palestine and Jerusalem. After reading this well-researched book, you'll understand why there is still so much acrimony among Muslims, among Jews and between the two cultures. It is learned and goes back thousands of years.”
Porter Versfelt III wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I'm plowing my way slowly through this. In places it catches light, but often feels like an endless procession of half-familiar names. There's no denying the complex history of the place, and its iconic position in the hearts and minds of many. I'll be reading this again and again before I properly get my head round all the ramifications. I'm certainly learning a lot!”
Yvonne Marjot wrote this review Sunday, March 31, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Jerusalem : A biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore is a good read though not as good as his earlier 'Stalin: The court of red Tsar'. Jerusalem is written in the style of London : A Biography by Peter Ackroyd. Whilst the idea of Jerusalem and its 'holiness' is driven due to its sacredness for Judaism, christianity and Islam, the book is not about the religious history per se. It is more a history of Jerusalem itself...though of course, it crosses over to religion because both are interlinked(it does however cover the story of David, Christ and Muhammed in brief and elaborates all holy places in Jerusalem and the layers of history behind each). What I found interesting is that it draws a wider political historical perspective when discussing Jerusalam through the timeline -starts from the world of David and ends just after 6 day war in 1960s - in between covering Islamic era, crusades, ottoman and then the British/French carving off the middle east. Hence, I found it more interesting to tie the threads of European / middle east history to the problem of Jerusalem than what happened in Jerusalem itself. After reading this book (which can be good reading whilst on a tour of Jerusalem), I really want to travel to Israel and West Bank to touch, smell and feel the weight of history in that place - the place and its people still bearing that cross of heavy past and who need to somehow shake the past off their back to be able to find peace in future. Overall, a good but long read though not Simon Sebag's best. One note of caution: Simon tries hard to remain unbiased but given his own background ('Montefiore' being one of the leading Jewish families through ages), his soft corner for 'Jew version' of the story does come through...but overall a good effort. recommended for readers who like history books and want to understand what the fuss is all about 'Jerusalem'.”
Vands wrote this review Saturday, February 2, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“"Biography" is the operative word; this is more the history of individuals who affected the city than a history of the city. Grand scope, and too much to absorb in one reading - I will have to return to it another time. I found the major downside to be the author's eagerness to lap up the sordid bits, and lack of analysis of the effects major players had on the city.”
Joe Hurler wrote this review Monday, January 28, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I will continue to read this book in Hebrew ”
tzvi raviv wrote this review Monday, January 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Great non-fiction history of the city of Jerusalem. A weighty tome to make your way through but well worth the effort. The plethora of names and constantly changing applelations of sites in and around this ancient city can get a bit monotonous and confusing, but the fascinating people that have a connection to Jerusalem make this a compelling read. I also loved the fact that the author's family figures prominently in the book. This gave a level of personal reflection and insight on his behalf that made the book all the more interesting.
Tom Austill wrote this review Thursday, January 3, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“What a work of non-fiction this author has created. The scope and breadth of this work is massive. Author Montefiore has started from Ancient times in the earliest books of the Old Testament and with modern findings in archaeology has woven a fabulous tale of love, hate, war, peace and everything inbetween. He leads the reader through myriad tales of adventure and horror bringing characters to life whether biblical or historical. Yet if this was just a dry recitation of historical facts the book would be sorely lacking. Happily author Montefiore has presented cultural, moral and religious elements into the story placing each within historical contexts and justifications for specific actions and events. This is carried through all the horrors of the "modern" Twentieth Century and into the present day crises of the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock. One can only marvel at the brilliance of this literary effort and know that author Montefiore's relatives, many of whom are mentioned in the book and played a part in the story of Jerusalem, are proud of their modern offspring. His work is a service provided to mankind and needs to be read by political leaders, religious zealots and concerned citizens of this world. It is long but not tedious. Well-worth the effort.”
Robert L wrote this review Wednesday, August 8, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The complete history of the most amazing city. Rich in details and facts. Explains why this city is still in so much turmoil today.”
Elizabeth Jernigan wrote this review Saturday, July 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“What a story!!! very well written and neutral to the extent that one can be neutral on the subject”
Richard Klein wrote this review Monday, May 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
