A thought-provoking new history by the author of the Wolfson Prize-shortlisted The Ottomans

A Financial Times Book to Read in 2026 Muslims and Jews have engaged one another -sometimes for better, sometimes for worse - for over 1,400 years. Yet recent discourse tends to focus on only the most antagonistic aspects of the two communities' interactions. Marc David Baer paints a more nuanced picture of Muslim-Jewish relations, from Muhammad's first interactions with Jewish Arabs in the seventh century and their shared struggles after the Spanish Reconquista to the ongoing modern conflict in the Middle East. Free from the myths and counter-myths of earlier accounts, this is a timely and indispensable new analysis of two communities, often existing side by side, whose relations will continue to shape global politics for decades to come.

"Baer reveals a complex history of coexistence, conflict and exchange that continues to influence global politics today" - Financial Times

"A winning portrait of seven centuries of empire" - Sunday Times