| Details | | Publication Date: | 2004-03-01 | | Edition Description: | Abridged |
| Size | | Height: | 6.0 in | | Width: | 4.8 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 8.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Jerusalem, the Holy City, venerated for centuries by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike; no other city has remained the center of such conflict for so long. Now Karen Armstrong, author of the best-selling and widely acclaimed A History of God, explains how this came to be as she unravels the meaning of a "holy city" and shows how Jerusalem has become deeply rooted in the identities of all three religions of Abraham. Throughout, Armstrong helps us understand the mythic nature of Jerusalem's holiness as she explores the "primitive ideal of a sacred space," an ideal that continues to arouse powerful emotions. She describes Jerusalem's richly woven history, tracing its battles, archaeology, and ever-changing topography which is often designed to reflect a people's inner world. Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths tells the fascinating story of Jerusalem from its earliest beginnings during the third millennium BCE to the present-day, explaining why Jerusalem is still a vibrant, sometimes violent political issue in the Middle East.
Industry Reviews
"...she has written a straightforward historical narrative, spanning three millennia. As such, her book is very good, admirable for being concise and evenhanded in discussing the disputed terrain. Throughout Ms. Armstrong maintains her focus, never losing sight of the city as her subject. The historical details she cites can be fascinating."
New York Times - Gustav Niebuhr (07/16/1996)
"Jerusalem is once again one of the world's great cities. Yet it remains a city without a solution. Armstrong's eminently sane and patient account of its history is therefore essential reading for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.
Washington Post Book World - John Ash (07/07/1996)
"Armstrong is a knowledgeable guide, and this is a sober and articulate tour of a complex subject and a city where, as she puts it, history is a dimension of the present."
Literary Review - James Owen (07/19/1996)
"[Armstrong's} strong identification with the innate human yearning for the divine gives intensity and perspective to her exhaustive research, and a sharp edge to her criticism of those who have failed to live up to the ideal of their Jerusalem."
New York Times Book Review - Serge Schmemann (12/08/1996)
"The essence of Armstrong's book is a pageant of Jerusalem history...[she] proposes that 'instead of seeing one's own tradition as an idiosyncratic voyage,' it can be seen as 'part of a huge universal endeavor...each has its own genius'".
Leary
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