'A History of Jerusalem should be read, not only by travellers and potential travellers in Jerusalem, but by all of us.' Stephen Tummin, Daily Telegraph The first full history in English for over twenty-five years of the world's most venerated city, now in a B-format travellers' edition. Karen Armstrong is one of Britain's -- and, increasingly, the world's -- foremost commentators on religious affairs. Jerusalem is never out of the headlines for long, and this book provides the key to understanding the deep historical roots of the region's violent animosities. Competition: Jerusalem: City of Mirrors, Amos Elon (Flamingo, 1991); Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century, Martin Gilbert (Chatto, 1996)

‘A History of Jerusalem should be read, not only by travellers and potential travellers in Jerusalem, but by all of us.’ Stephen Tummin, Daily Telegraph

Jerusalem has probably cast more of a spell over the human imagination than any other city in the world.

Held by believers to contain the site where Abraham offered up Isaac, the place of the crucifixion of Christ and the rock from which the prophet Muhammed ascended to heaven, Jerusalem has been celebrated and revered for centuries by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Such is the symbolic power of this ancient city that its future status poses a major obstacle to a comprehensive regional peace in the Middle East.

In this comprehensive and elegantly written work, Karen Armstrong traces the turbulent history of the city from the prehistoric era to the present day.