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Jerusalem: The Biography Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,413 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilizations. From King David to Barack Obama, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of three thousand years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. How did this small, remote town become the Holy City, the “center of the world” and now the key to peace in the Middle East? In a gripping narrative, Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals this ever-changing city in its many incarnations, bringing every epoch and character blazingly to life. Jerusalem’s biography is told through the wars, love affairs and revelations of the men and women—kings, empresses, prophets, poets, saints, conquerors and whores—who created, destroyed, chronicled and believed in Jerusalem. As well as the many ordinary Jerusalemites who have left their mark on the city, its cast varies from Solomon, Saladin and Suleiman the Magnificent to Cleopatra, Caligula and Churchill; from Abraham to Jesus and Muhammad; from the ancient world of Jezebel, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod and Nero to the modern times of the Kaiser, Disraeli, Mark Twain, Lincoln, Rasputin, Lawrence of Arabia and Moshe Dayan. Drawing on new archives, current scholarship, his own family papers and a lifetime’s study, Montefiore illuminates the essence of sanctity and mysticism, identity and empire in a unique chronicle of the city that many believe will be the setting for the Apocalypse. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem, and the only city that exists twice—in heaven and on earth. Includes a bonus PDF of the family trees of the kings, high priests, rulers, caliphs, and dynasties of Jerusalem
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"Great book. A bit of a slog to get through, but when read over an extended period the reader can ovoid being overwhelmed by the wealth of detail. I found the footnotes on each page really added another dimension to the stories. I think the author tries hard to be neutral and judge each action by the standards of the time, however, the nature of Jerusalem is that it is impossible to keep everyone happy. As a young man, the Arab-Isreali question seemed relatively simple. Now, I can see the incredible complexity and this book demonstrates that all of the great powers have been in command and have some skeletons in the cupboard and therefore lack the moral authority. This is an imoportant part of the world and I look forward with interest as to how the Chinese become involved."
— Steve (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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One of the 2011 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction
Jerusalem Listener Reviews
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" Lovely history of Jerusalem told with references to Christian, Jewish and Muslim sources. "
— Sandra, 1/28/2014 -
" He focuses on the who-what-when version of history, which is probably necessary with a subject so wide in scope. It's mostly a chronicle of who killed whom and who expelled whom and a succession of rulers. There's little here about the culture of the city throughout the time covered, but that's likely by design as it is such a major undertaking. "
— Brian, 12/12/2013 -
" This is one of the best history books I've ever read. It is sprawling, but given the subject matter it has to be. It is profoundly interesting and very readable, which are the two key elements of a good non-academic history text. "
— Carey, 11/27/2013 -
" Clearly written, but editorial mistakes made it annoying. In one chapter something that happened in 12th century was noted as 15th. "
— K, 11/23/2013 -
" Educational. Very thorough. Jerusalem and environs have always been a huge mess. Wow. "
— Tanya, 11/8/2013 -
" Another impressive work by Mr. Montefiore, detailed the extremely long and vivid history of one of the world's most famous cities into a very readable and flowing history, from King David, to David Ben-Gurion, and beyond. "
— Hadrian, 9/21/2013 -
" Difficult read but highly informative "
— Nidhi, 3/12/2013 -
" This is a wonderful book. If you really wnat to understand the city of Jerusalem throught the centries this is a must read "
— Dorothy, 8/27/2012 -
" Montefiore's description of this book as a "biography" is apt, and Jerusalem has lived a long and rather messy life. Amazing context for current mideast situation, and a very absorbing way to view thousands of years of history around the Mediterranean. "
— Tom, 7/14/2012 -
" Very detailed history of Jerusalem with extensive footnotes and bibliography. It takes intention and commitment to complete but will remain in my library for frequent reference. "
— Mona, 5/13/2012 -
" There is a lot to take in here. Needs to be read a couple of times. "
— Chris, 12/30/2011 -
" Excellent insight into events leading up to current world conflicts! We are rooted in history! "
— Robert, 11/6/2011 -
" Wonderful! Detail and story telling at it's best. A real incentive to read Dawkins more often, What were they fighting over? "
— Patrick, 10/25/2011 -
" amazingly researched, fantastically informative and incredibly moving. makes the history of Jerusalem your own. "
— Moritz, 8/22/2011 -
" Clearly written, but editorial mistakes made it annoying. In one chapter something that happened in 12th century was noted as 15th. "
— K, 8/19/2011 -
" Seems like a miracle that Jerusalem remains standing. An all-encompassing flight through thousands of years. "
— Susu, 8/14/2011 -
" Ok, I am 250 pages in and I love every word. This is a book I will be sorry to finish. <br/> <br/>I'm on page 410 now. I have to force myself to stop reading, as I want to eek out the last 100 pages slowly... very slowly. <br/> <br/>It is that good. "
— Laurence, 3/14/2011 -
" interesting history book set as a biography and gives a good historical insight into the city over the years but only takes the book up to 1967 but gives a summary of events afterwards 1967 in the index though "
— Stephen, 2/10/2011
About Simon Sebag Montefiore
Simon Sebag Montefiore is a historian specializing in Russia. Born in 1965, he read history at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. The author of several novels and a presenter of television documentaries, he is married with two children and lives in London.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.