Simon Sebag Montefiore launches children’s edition of best seller Jerusalem
Historian says book teaches tolerance by telling stories of three faiths
Bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore has launched an illustrated adaptation of his acclaimed Jerusalem: A Biography, opening up the city’s epic history to a new generation of readers.
Jerusalem: The City That Changed the World, published this week by Hachette Children’s Group, condenses 3,000 years of conflict, faith, and culture, into 30 key episodes aimed at readers aged 11 and up. The volume, is richly illustrated by Rui Ricardo and Catherine Rowe.
Speaking exclusively to Jewish News, Montefiore said the project was about giving younger readers access to stories that might otherwise feel overwhelming. His original 800-page book, published in 2011, charted the city’s entire history. “Because it’s so complicated, I think it couldn’t really be read by children,” he said. “First of all, it’s 800 pages long, and secondly, it’s a very complicated series of different stories. What I wanted to do was use the best stories from the history of the Holy City and turn them into a book that could be read by people of all ages.”
At the heart of the project, he said, is a message of tolerance. “The theme of the book is really to recognise the narrative, the stories of other people. That’s the heart of tolerance. You have to recognise the history of the other in order to ever make peace with them or even share with them.”
The process has taken four years, with much of the time spent on illustration and the challenges of colour printing. “It takes ages because the illustrations take so long,” he said. “And the printing is complicated… but it’s been a lot of fun to do, and I’m really proud of it.”
Montefiore, who has also authored bestselling works on Stalin, Catherine the Great and Potemkin, and the Romanovs, said he hopes the new volume will become a fixture in schools as well as a family favourite. “It’s the perfect present for Chanukah or Christmas,” he added. “And it will be as much fun for grown-ups as it is for children.”
And for those interested in owning a copy, Jerusalem: The City That Changed the World is available now – purchase here.
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