About:
Jerusalem : A Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore is a history of the famous city and the rise, and fall, of empires and individuals within. Mr. Montefiore is a British historian and author, with a personal connection to Jerusalem through this grandfather, Sir Moses Motefiore.
- 688 pages
- Publisher : Knopf
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0307266516
My rating for Jerusalem: A Biography – 5
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More Books by Simon Sebag Montefiore*
Thoughts:
This is an amazing book, where the author treats the city as the protagonist, not a setting. He tells a tragic story, but also that of a city full of dancing, poets, songs, lovers and literature.
Jerusalem: A Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore is a meticulously researched book, telling of the rise and fall of individuals, religions and empires.
This is not a boring, academic book, but rather focuses on the people living is the city across time. Each section focuses on a person or family. Through King David, Jesus, Mohammad, Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, Napoleon, and Churchill we learn of the strong personalities. Through the great families of times ago, like the Herods or the Hapsburgs, we discover the shifting politics which define Jerusalem to this day.
The book treats all three Abrahamic religions fairly, honestly, and reasonably. So I would guess that no fundamentalist would be very happy – which as far as I’m concerned is a compliment.
Jerusalem’s history is a constant cycle or war, slaughter, sieges but it managed to be rebirthed and rebuilt each time. Mr. Montefiore writes just as much about the myth of Jerusalem and compares it to the gritty reality. Myth, however, when it comes to Jerusalem it is just as important as the facts, if not more important.
After all, how many people are willing to die for myths vs. how many are willing to do so for facts?
The writing is highly descriptive, and epic story told with a historian’s depth. This big book feels much shorter and manages to stay objective – a huge undertaking given the political symbolism given to the city.
Buy Jerusalem: A Biography from Amazon.com*
More Books by Simon Sebag Montefiore*
Zohar – Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free.
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