A kaleidoscopic history of the thrice-holy city, written from the inside by Idinopulos (Religion/Miami Univ.; The Erosion of Faith, 1971). One of the best features of Idinopulos's account is the breadth of his perspective: He has provided, in effect, three histories in one volume, relating (in separate sections) the disparate experiences and expectations brought to Jerusalem by the three great religions that at various times have claimed—and still claim—the city as their own. Thus, the zeal of Jewish nationalism, rooted in David's ill-fated attempt to establish a Jewish kingdom, is contrasted with both the Christian ambivalence toward the place that witnessed Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, and the doomed pragmatism of Islam, which sought unsuccessfully to amalgamate Judaism and Christianity into a new monotheism of its own devising. The sorry spectacle of the Crusades, jihads, and persecutions that have marred Jerusalem's history throughout the ages is related without prejudice or apology for any party, and the final section of the book, which unfolds the history of modern Zionism and the Intifada, provides fresh perspectives on a crisis that, to many observers, shows no hopeful signs of resolution. One might question Idinopulos's overreliance on a small number of historians whom he quotes authoritatively throughout the book, but this is balanced somewhat by an ample bibliography and generous annotations. The illustrations and maps are carefully chosen and helpful. A splendidly told tale, which succeeds against great odds in providing a clear, balanced, and lively history of one of the most complicated cities in the world.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-929587-66-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Ivan Dee/Rowman & Littlefield
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1991
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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