A thought-provoking new history by the bestselling author of The Ottomans
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.
Praise for The Ottomans: A superb, gripping and refreshing new history - finely written and filled with fascinating characters and analysis - that places the dynasty where it belongs: at the centre of European history
Magnificent . . . [An] important and hugely readable book - a model of well-written, accessible scholarship
A book as sweeping, colourful, and rich in extraordinary characters as the empire which it describes
A winning portrait of seven centuries of empire, teeming with life and colour, human interest and oddity, cruelty and oppression mixed with pleasure, benevolence and great artistic beauty - Sunday Times