Jerusalem

The Biography

By: Simon Sebag Montefiore

Narrated by: John Lee

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 Simon Sebag Montefiore (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Magnificent . . . The city’s first ‘biography’ - a panoptic narrative of its rulers and citizens, heroes and villains, harlots and saints . . . Montefiore barely misses a trick or a character in taking us through the city’s story with compelling, breathless tension.” (Norman Lebrecht, Wall Street Journal)

“Impossible to put down . . . A vastly enjoyable chronicle [with] many fascinating asides . . . Montefiore has a fine eye for the telling detail, and also a powerful feel for a good story.” (Jonathan Rosen, New York Times Book Review)

“Magisterial . . . As a writer, Montefiore has an elegant turn of phrase and an unerring ear for the anecdote that will cut to the heart of a story . . . It is this kind of detail that makes Jerusalem a particular joy to read.” (The Economist)

Very Well Researched

A little long but an excellent historical record of one of the most fascinating cities in the world.

Well done! With some qualifications

Simon Montefiore did a great job in making the complicated history of Jerusalem understandable. There are some issues in his interpretation of Christian history that are questionable. Nonetheless, it's the best work on the matter.

you thought you knew

so much to take in. it really gives you a complete picture of this city and is place in history and present. I will be thinking about this for a bit.

Must read for anyone interested in Jerusalem

I read this book before visiting the Holy Land last year and it provided so much valuable information. It’s a historically dense book, so sometimes hard to understand, but very interesting. The amount of research in this is incredible!

Wow!

What an incredible feat. To bring so much history, so many dates and empires and overthrows into such vivid, fascinating detail. Not a dry moment in the whole book. And perfectly read by the fantastic John Lee.

I feel so much richer for understanding the sordid, complex, fascinating history of this troubled and tremendous city that is Jerusalem.

This book may put you off religion

An amazing history full of information but a very depressing story of how humankind haven’t been unable to reconcile differences. Full of blood and gore the story of Jerusalem is a story of humanity at its worst.

An Uncertain History

While this book increased my knowledge, and I am glad that I listened to it, I'm quite uncertain about the quality of the knowledge gained. When the author announced that his only historical basis for a section of his book was the Bible, I was alarmed by how badly he managed to misstate the facts. It made me wonder about the rest of his "facts" when drawn from sources where I was not an expert.

Another cause for concern about his credibility arises from how he treats his relatives in the book. For example, he describes one elderly ancestor who (as I recall) raped a household servant. (I say "raped" because I understood the servant to be a 14 year-old.) Instead of treating this as a character flaw (to put it mildly), the author claims this event shows the vigor of his ancestor. It made me wonder about the accuracy of his conclusions where he did not recount the underlying facts.

The narrator has a most unusual way of pronouncing names. Historical names familiar to most people are pronounced in such a bizaarre way that it takes a few moments to realize which historical figure is being discussed. Time yourself to see how long it takes you to realize that the person under discussion is, for example, Hercules or Nebuchadnezzar.

A vivid drama!

Where does Jerusalem rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

You start into this book looking at the historical context of this time in middle eastern history and you become wrapped up in a drama meant for television. John Lee captures the personalities and background politics of an incredibly influential period of time in Israeli Arab relations leading to this war. You understand the pretext of the political events leading to this war but more important, you feel the intricacies involved among all sides involved as well as the intelligence and political motivations both short and long term. The material is read with depth and intention bringing the listener into the events as they fold so that the listener understands what was generally believed by the people of the nations drawn by nationalism and one countries plight to remain on the map. This is a political journeyman's flight through prewar, understanding the politics of war and the long term affects considered long before the end of a conflict.

Comprehensive, unbiased and beautifully written.

Would you consider the audio edition of Jerusalem to be better than the print version?

As much as I enjoyed the audio edition, I need the print version as I see this becoming a well worn reference book.

Have you listened to any of John Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

As always, John Lee makes hard history an enjoyable listen.

Any additional comments?

For all searchers, looking for answers to unanswerable questions about the human condition, "Jerusalem" is an apt place to start.

An Investment in An Historical Perspective

Montefiore takes the reader through history from the time of King David to modern day with Jerusalem at the epicenter. If the reader can regularly recall this skewed perspective, he'll find the book engaging and enlightening.

Disappointingly, the author begins with the Bible as his only source for the days of King David, then argues against its historicity using inductive reasoning. Not excellent logic.

The period of Herodian Jerusalem was most interesting, with many insights to Herod's ties to Rome & Rome's connection to this crossroads of the world. From Herod to modern history, the narrative thins into a brief recount of each ruling power. The author's retelling of the struggle for modern Jerusalem is captivating because the moral high ground belongs to the city, not the victors of The Great War or WWII, as so much of history tells it.

Overall, consider this book an investment, as it is quite long. However, the vast scale will offer insight dissimilar to that found in studying smaller niches of history.