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Jerusalem

The Biography – A History of the Middle East

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Jerusalem

By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
Narrated by: John Lee
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Summary

 A new, updated, revised edition of JERUSALEM: THE BIOGRAPHY, the wider history of the Middle East through the lens of the Holy City, from King David to today.

The story of Jerusalem is the story of the world.

Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today's clash of civilisations. How did this small, remote town become the Holy City, the 'centre of the world' and now the key to peace in the Middle East? Drawing on new archives and a lifetime's study, Montefiore reveals this ever-changing city through the wars, love affairs and revelations of the kings, empresses, prophets, poets, saints, conquerors and whores who created, destroyed, chronicled and believed in Jerusalem.

A classic of modern literature, this is not only the epic story of 3,000 years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and co-existence, but also a freshly-updated history of the entire Middle East, from King David to the twenty-first century, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the wars of today. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem - the only city that exists twice - in heaven and on earth.©2011 Simon Sebag Montefiore Civilisation Europe Historical Israel & Palestine Medieval Middle East Military World Africa Middle Ages Judaism War Iran Imperialism Refugee Ottoman Empire Royalty Holocaust Ancient History Crusade
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Critic Reviews

A brilliant and balanced narrative that consistently views Jerusalem as the capital city of two peoples and three faiths
Astounding, ambitious and triumphantly epic (Tom Holland)
Magisterial . . . Montefiore has been preparing all his life to write this particular book. He steers a clear path through the religious animosities and political intrigues, adopting a strikingly apolitical tone
Excellent . . . It explains beautifully the competition for cramped real estate of the three monotheistic religions in this place that feels once again like the vexed navel of the world. It will make you appreciate the blessing and the curse of this city (Matt Frei)
Spectacular. Montefiore really tells you what the life of the city has been like and why it means to much to everyone . . . You fall in the love with the city and it breaks your heart that people can't make peace over it . . . It's a treasure. It's a wonderful book (former President Bill Clinton)
An epic and utterly absorbing study of a city whose modern religious, political and ethnic rivalries can be understood only in the context of its preceding 3,000 years of history. Montefiore writes with tremendous verve, sensitivity to historical controversy and an exceptional eye for the entertaining detail (Books of the Year)
A wonderfully vibrant account . . . Balanced, fair and above all colourful, Montefiore's narrative does justice to every religious tradition and confirms his reputation as one of our finest popular historians (Dominic Sandbrook, Books of the Year)
The must-read history . . . a master work (David Sexton)
Packed with fascinating and grisly detail, a gripping account of war, betrayal, rape, massacre, sadistic torture, fanaticism, feuds, corruption, hypocrisy and spirituality. Montefiore's narrative is remarkably objective. A reliable and compelling account (Antony Beevor)
Read the book from cover to cover. There is never a dull page (Charles Moore)
Ambitious and arresting . . . A powerful achievement, erudite without pedantry, and intimate with the complex archaeology . . . at once a scholarly record and an exuberantly written popular tour de force (Colin Thubron)
A fittingly vast and dazzling portrait of Jerusalem, utterly compelling from start to finish
Outstanding, superbly objective, elegantly written and highly entertaining
Simon Sebag Montefiore's history of Jerusalem is a labour of love and scholarship... a considerable achievement... he has a wonderful ear for the absurdities and adventurers of the past... totally gripping... vivid compelling, engaged, engrossing, knowledgeable
Compelling and thought-provoking...Working on an immense chronological and thematic canvas Sebag Montefiore does his subject more than justice. He narrates the terrible history of Jerusalem vividly and graphically... fascinating but ghastly.
It is a gripping read, told with verve and fluency, and explains why Jerusalem, like a living person, has touched the heart of so many cultures, East and West, for so long
All stars
Most relevant
Simon Sebag Montefiore’s Jerusalem is a triumph of historical storytelling, vivid, rich, and deeply human. He brings the holy city to life with the grandeur of an epic and the intimacy of a personal memoir, revealing its sacredness, its struggles, and its unbroken spirit through the centuries. A remarkable achievement.

A Majestic Chronicle of Faith and Power

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the narrator was excellent and represented the books content well.

the subject matter was well presented.

excellent, informative listen

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The author has put together an all encompassing snapshot of Jerusalem which is easily read and assumes the audience has some grasp of history. However, the narrative is flawed in its subjective nature, being very Jew-centric in describing modern history, yet dismissive of biblical texts as myth and tradition rather than a historical document. Overall well put together but like any history, needs to be read with a “pinch of salt”.

Good overview but subjective narrative

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Jerusalem, a city that has influenced countless generations of people. A crazy place that continues to entrance and horrify, at the same time. I enjoyed this Audiobook thoroughly. Although, for those religious listeners out there - this book offers the typical secular understanding of the bible and is critical of the history contained therein.

As for the story itself, it was good, quite a detailed and in depth account of Jerusalem's history. I like that it gave context to all the outside forces that effected and influenced the city as well. It discussed the goings on in the wider world that had a direct impact on Jerusalem also. One of the annoying things I didn't like however was that it went too into the lives of people involved in the city - it detracted a little from the story on that front I thought. It tended to be a bit wordy and over the top, which was good and bad. But this deserves a solid 4 stars for an intriguing listen.

As for the Narrator - he was very good. He had very good pronunciation and did a good job of all the names. He didn't detract from the story. But I must say his reading had somewhat of a pompous air to it. Still solid though, 4 stars.

Overall, I give this 4 stars.

Biography of a City

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Sebag Montefiore is a terrific writer of history, and it's not his fault if some of the history related here is so convoluted it's hard to absorb. However the book is not so much read as intoned by John Lee - an irritatingly affected performance in which he sounds like he is reading the Bible itself. Admittedly I'm sensitive to reading style so others may not have a problem with it. It is a damn long book though so download the sample first to see if you mightn't rather just read it yourself.

Fascinating book, annoying delivery

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