O Jerusalem [Print] [Hardcover]

Larry Collins (Author), Dominique Lapierre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1972

At the center of this massive and brilliant book is the most universal of man's cities: Jerusalem, the mystic heart of three great religions, condemned to pay for the passions it inspires by being, through forty centuries, the most bitterly disputed site in the world.

Collins and Lapierre's story is the fruit of five years of intensive research and many thousands of interviews. It is the epic drama of 1948, in which the Arabs and the Jews, heirs to generations of bitter conflict in a land sacred to them both, fought each other for the city of Jerusalem and for the hopes of fulfillment it represented to each. Here is the account of that struggle that encompasses the full spectrum of its participants, whose experiences, emotions, and acts of bravery have been meticulously brought together and illumined in this monumental and dramatic work.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It reads like a whodunit, and you turn page after page to see what happens next....The pace is so swift, the drama so heightened by alternating flashes of tragedy and comedy that one has to stop frequently to catch one's breath and marvel."

--The New York Times Book Review

Frederick Davidson's crisp narration is well suited to the brisk pace set by investigative journalists Collins and Lapierre.--Library Journal

Moving, fascinating, informative. . . No other book on this subject. . .comes close to O Jerusalem! --Los Angeles Times

A remarkable book. . . a history that not only clarifies the military and political events of the war but brings its human dimensions vividly to life. --National Observer --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

LARRY COLLINS (1929-2005) was born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, and is a graduate of Yale University. He was for more than ten years a foreign correspondent in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, first for UPI and then for Newsweek, for which he was Paris Bureau chief.

DOMINIQUE LAPIERRE was for many years a senior reporter and editor for Paris-Match. He is the author of several earlier books published in France, some of them based on his knowledge of the United States, where he attended Lafayette College and where his father served with the French diplomatic service. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 670 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st, 8ptg edition (May 15, 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671211633
• ISBN-13: 978-0671211639
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unbiased telling of the establishment of Israel., August 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: O Jerusalem (Paperback)

I tend towards books in the historical novel genre, and count among my favorite authors Herman Wouk and Leon Uris. "O Jerusalem!" was recommended to me by someone familiar with my interest in the history of Israel, and I was hesitant to read it at first, thinking that I didn't want to slog through some dry account of such a worthwhile topic.

Well, "dry" cannot be applied to any aspect of this book. Considering all of the college history books I've read, I think I can truly say that this is the best "true" historical telling of a topic that I've read...yet. The authors, in true journalistic form, did their research, and brought in those "human interest" aspects I so love in the historical novels. Their treatment of both the Arabs and the Jews is about as unbiased as one can be--I didn't see any blatant pandering to either side-- and felt that any (potentially) incindiary remarks were based wholly on historical track record (e.g., Arabs don't have a history--in Palestine--of cultivating the land, and this neglect is mentioned a few times). I recommend this book to anyone wishing for an in-depth (but not too technically deep!) look into the partition vote, the siege of Jerusalem, and the establishment of the State of Israel. ( As an aside: I'm not too interested in politics, but the political wrangling inherent in the entire partition process is quite fascinating. It goes to show that 'goodwill gestures' have about a million moving parts--not necessarily made out of love!).

110 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Greatest Books on Israel Ever Written, February 26, 2002

By 

dougrhon "dougrhon" - See all my reviews

This review is from: O Jerusalem (Paperback)

"O Jerusalem" is a classic. By focusing on one narrow yet vitally important aspect of the Arab-Jewish conflict surrounding the birth of Israel between WWII and 1948, the authors bring to life all the characters, good bad and neutral who played a role in the saga of Jerusalem. As readers of the book will discover, prior to 1948, Jerusalem was a city with a mixed Jewish-Arab population. The Arabs and Jews lived in relative harmony, sometimes in mixed neighborhoods. Under British rule, all religious groups had access to their own holy sights. The authors demonstrate how villaims like Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, a rabid anti-semite who spent WWII hiding from the British in Berlin, brought ruin to the Arabs of Jerusalem. Indeed, the Arabs come across as the ultimate victims, which they were. Their victimizers were not the Jews, however, but their fellow Arabs. Ultimately, war comes in 1948 and the Jews are victorious in establishing the state of Israel. Many Arab residents of Jerusalem are forced from their homes either by the Israeli Defense Force, fellow Arabs or their own fears. Most wind up in the part of the city that has come to be known as "East Jerusalem". The old city, including the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall is captured by Jordan and ALL Jews are expelled. The book describes in great detail, the tragic consequences of this conflict which was not wanted by the Jews, not wanted by their Arab neighbors but spurred on by interlopers like the Mufti, the British and many bad players fromt he Arab world like King Abdullah. It is a fair analysis. It does not make the Jews out to be saints nor does it portray all the Arabs as blood thirsty monsters. It lays blame where it belongs. Those pre-disposed to a revisionist view of Israel's birth will not appreciate this book because its fair analysis does not meet with revisionist ideology. But for anyone who wants to learn the truth about this conflict, this book is a must read.

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, very readable history, January 29, 2000

By 

Sergio Flores (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: O Jerusalem (Paperback)

Authors Lapierre and Collins have written a wonderful account of the establishment of the State of Israel. They have talked to people on all sides of the problem (there were more than just two sides) and, although not impartial, the end result is as gripping as it is valid. I have said that the authors have not reached an impartial result, and by this I mean that they tilt towards the Israeli side. I do, too, to be honest. But Lapierre and Collins show a lot of professionalism and at least seek balance. I recommend this title to anyone interested in the Middle East conflict, together with Dan Kurzman's "Genesis 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War."