"Focusing on the city which many consider to lie at the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this book presents a panorama of real life in Arab Jerusalem, particularly during the British Mandate years � and how it abruptly changed in 1948. Comprising essays by 19 different scholars, Jerusalem Interrupted has in-depth coverage of a broad range of fields and issues, reflecting the diversity and development that was once a hallmark of the city. High-quality, historical and current photos and maps complement the well-researched essays. Taken as a whole, the book provides a comprehensive picture with a good balance between detail and general observation� While there are many accounts of Palestine's modern political history, it is only in recent times that the country's social and cultural history has been properly addressed in English-language books. Jerusalem Interrupted is a substantial, new contribution to this latter type of history, which has rich political implications for understanding the past and working to chart a different future." � Jordan Times
"This volume of 18 original essays plus the editor's introduction is in two parts: the years of the British Mandate and the period since 1948. Generally, the first part is cultural anthropology and social history, and the second is political geography. The scope is wide: archaeology, art and handcrafts, photography, music, health, memoir, festivals, and historical incidents. Written by artists and academic scholars (most are Palestinians, many living in Canada, the US, or Europe), the chapters focus on the vibrant, diverse, and commingling religious and ethnic population of Jerusalem's first decades of the 20th century and the emerging sense of (Christian and Muslim) Palestinian nationhood. Part 2 chronicles (with maps) the rupture of 1948 and subsequent acts of Israel that 'aborted the project of an indigenous Arab modernity in the city.' In the constructivist perspective, essays document both a nearly lost narrative of Jerusalem's Arab past and "the Zionist project of transforming Jerusalem into a Jewish city" at both the physical and subjective levels. Especially interesting are essays on the political mobilization of women during the British Mandate period and historical photos, e.g., those of the once-active Jerusalem airport in the occupied West Bank. Summing Up: Recommended. Most levels/libraries." � CHOICE