Over all, Karen has managed to write an excellent book on the history of the city of Jerusalem. Unlike other "historians" who's prejudice is clear in their work, especially on the Crusade histories, karen's book here is easily understood & far from bias. I find this book to be very objective in dealing with the various elements & people who came to that troubled city. For those who are looking to condemn & judge these by gone incidents should look for less credible writers to fill their thirst, as this book is about citing the incidents, battles & struggle history for the city of, ironically, peace.

Ms. Armstrong fails to fully disguise her pro-muslim bias in this history of Jerusalem. While it is true that atrocities were committed by all parties (Jews, Christians, Muslims and others) at different times during Jerusalem's long history, she focuses primarily on those inflicted upon the Muslims, ignoring the fact that the Christian crusades occured after more than 300 hundred years of Muslim invasions upon Christian, Jewish and pagan lands, often brutally, and with disastrous consequences.
The "claim to Jerusalem", while a very touchy subject and one fraught with the landmines of what constitutes a claim, is presented with her usual bias towards Muslims, largely ignoring the very clear historical fact that it was the Jewish temples upon which all others were later built.
Very readable and complete, worth adding to your library if you can take it for what it's worth and balance the information with other sources.

Ms. Armstrong fails to fully disguise her pro-muslim bias in this history of Jerusalem. While it is true that atrocities were committed by all parties (Jews, Christians, Muslims and others) at different times during Jerusalem's long history, she focuses primarily on those inflicted upon the Muslims, ignoring the fact that the Christian crusades occured after more than 300 hundred years of Muslim invasions upon Christian, Jewish and pagan lands, often brutally, and with disastrous consequences.
The "claim to Jerusalem", while a very touchy subject and one fraught with the landmines of what constitutes a claim, is presented with her usual bias towards Muslims, largely ignoring the very clear historical fact that it was the Jewish temples upon which all others were later built.
Very readable and complete, worth adding to your library if you can take it for what it's worth and balance the information with other sources.