Jerusalem

This, the umpteenth history of Jerusalem, is also in a sense the very first: never before, in fact, has the city been the object of a full-fledged effort that rigorously examines it from its origins. … A lively, precise, and handy book of great intelligence. … In the end, [it is the physical city itself] that is at the heart of this fine work. … What a great achievement indeed to have made this most labyrinthine of cities so readable.—Le Monde Very readable, very well informed, very well documented. … An important counterweight to the simplifications, myths, instrumentalization, … and hysterical readings of the city's status. … Recommended to anyone traveling to Israel-Palestine or who cares about [Jerusalem's] fate for good or for bad reasons.—LibreSens What else can be said about the history of Jerusalem? … What could be added to the monumental biography of the city written by the British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore? Many things, [the authors of this book] enthusiastically reply. … On the basis of little- or unexploited sources, … [they endeavor to] shed new light on a past too often reduced to the clash of religions, civilizations, and imperialisms. … Don't be mistaken: in this long history, … battles and conquests are of course central. … But in the shadow of these dramas, it is the daily cohabitation of the three monotheisms in a common melting pot to which the authors devote some of their most surprising pages.—Le Figaro Breaking with the discourse, more ideological than historical, of most books devoted to the city, the authors … offer the reader a fascinating survey that skillfully blends the history of everyday life with that of an ever-changing fantasy of the imagined city. … A thrilling book from beginning to end, which illuminates the dramas of the present.—L'Histoire Calmly and in accessible language, this book traces the [city's] long and complex history. … This unprecedented initiative of … Vincent Lemire and his colleagues … certainly deserves to be saluted, as it will be of great service to the many pilgrims, tourists, diplomats, and volunteers who visit Jerusalem.—La Croix Judaeans, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Franks, Ottomans, English—all have left their mark on the city. The individual chapters review these periods and their contributions, providing a better understanding of the history of each site, shedding light on the relations between the different communities that have lived [in Jerusalem], and giving an idea of the magnitude of the challenge that Palestinians and Israelis must now take on in order to build the future of the Holy City.—Études