ANDREW LAWLER is author of the bestselling The Secret Token- Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and the acclaimed Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?- The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Smithsonian. He is a contributing writer for Science and a contributing editor for Archaeology. Lawler's work has appeared several times in The Best of Science and Nature Writing.
Winner of the Archeological Institute of America's Felicia A.
Holton Book Award
“In Under Jerusalem, journalist Andrew Lawler directs our
contemplation away from the heavenly city, and down into the roots
of history and faith. . . Mr. Lawler, unlike so many of his
characters, navigates the terrain without offending the political
or religious sensibilities of his subjects. . . In a city where the
winner takes all, Mr. Lawler does an admirable job of striving for
the diplomats’ ideal of ‘evenhandedness.’ ”
—Wall Street Journal
“Under Jerusalem is a brilliant, highly innovative history of the
most contested city on the planet. Andrew Lawler uses these
untold stories of archeological digs near and under
Jerusalem’s sacred sites to convey all the colorful and violent and
contentious history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is an
astounding achievement—and a compulsive read.”
—Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and author of The
Outlier and The Good Spy
"Magisterial. . . [A] fast-paced adventury-story account. .
. This is a spellbinding book—and a reminder that, just when
one might have imagined that nothing new could be written about
Jerusalem, there is still more to be found beneath its
surface."
—Moment Magazine
"What lies beneath? Lawler knows. Evoking the sights, sounds, and
smells of ancient and modern Jerusalem, he introduces the reader to
a myriad of archaeologists and other colorful characters, all
concerned with unearthing the ancient remains of the city,
frequently while grappling with thorny modern political,
ideological, and theological issues. A must read for anyone
interested in either the history or archaeology of Jerusalem."
—Eric H. Cline, bestselling author of 1177 B.C.: The Year
Civilization Collapsed
“Every review of Andrew Lawler's book about the wild archaeological
history of Jerusalem will mention Indiana Jones. This is not
because the characters he describes are much like Jones—they're
much more obsessed, more bonkers, or more mendacious—but because
the Indiana Jones stories are among the few examples we have of
stories about archaeology that are pure fun. Well, now there is
another one, just as swashbuckling as the Spielberg movies, but
with the added advantage of being all true."
—Charles C. Mann, New York Times bestselling author of 1491 and The
Wizard and the Prophet
“Lawler’s history tracks both the marvels found underground and the
events unfolding above them… Probing excavators’ often partisan
motivations, Lawler highlights archeology’s power to shape
narratives and its development from a discipline ‘not far removed
from its far older cousin, tomb robbing,’ into a modern tool of
nationalist mythmaking.”
—New Yorker
“A sweeping tale of archaeological exploits and their cultural and
political consequences told with a historian’s penchant for detail
and a journalist’s flair for narration. . . [Lawler] displays
remarkable evenhandedness in cataloguing the politicization of
archaeology today. . . Lawler’s timely book [shows] how and why
ordinary men and women, and great empires alike, continue to seek
meaning in the dirt and debris beneath this magnetic, confounding
city.”
—Washington Post
“Engrossing [and] exhaustively researched. . . This book may be
non-fiction, but it reads like a fast-moving and suspenseful
Indiana Jones thriller. . . A captivating exploration of a
Jerusalem’s buried history.”
—The Times of Israel
“It’s hard to imagine a definitive book being written about such a
complicated subject, but this one is as close as it gets. Lawler
gives a comprehensive, even-handed, clear-headed story about one of
the most argued over pieces of land on the earth. But this is no
dry treatise. It’s more of an adventure story with the main
characters being archeologists and treasure seekers. Lovers of
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark won’t be
disappointed.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Lawler presents a cast of characters and
a progression of events that build one on another, much
like the archaeological layers themselves, and the
discoveries he shows us beguile and amaze. . . Lawler’s
prose and the spotlight he shines on the history of each era
make his account read like an exciting adventure story. . .
Archaeology feels like a vital, relevant, far-reaching
endeavor shedding light on today’s headlines and tomorrow’s
world. . . Fascinating.”
—The Jewish Book Council
"Fascinating. . . Lawler effectively conveys how digging up
Jerusalem, while continuing to provide stunning new insights, has
often provided more kindling to a frequently flammable
environment."
—The Jewish News of Northern California
"Impressively absorbing, admirably executed.... Under Jerusalem is
an engrossing, eye-opening read that should appeal to history
buffs, armchair archaeologists, and anyone interested in the
complex web of religion and culture that's shaped this ancient and
enigmatic city. Weeks after finishing it, I keep thinking back to
it, wishing that it wasn't over. You really can't ask for more from
a book." —Boing Boing
“Richly detailed, sensitively argued, and entertainingly written,
this immersive history casts Jerusalem in a new light and reveals
the tensions that meet at the intersection of science, politics,
religion, and history. This fascinating, evenhanded chronicle is a
treasure.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“This entertaining and carefully argued book shows that the
archaeology of this ancient city cannot be divorced from the
complex knot of its politics. Journalist Lawler is evenhanded in
his treatment of the thorny issues of religion, jurisdiction, and
cultural heritage in Jerusalem. . . At its heart, Under
Jerusalem is a terrific story, bursting at the seams with dubiously
legal digs and eccentric personalities.”
—Booklist
“[Lawler’s] writing is clear and engaging, whether detailing
colorful characters seeking fame and fortune or recounting the
history of the West Bank, and supported by research. . . This
archeological exploration of Jerusalem will find a welcome audience
among readers interest in or curious about the historic city.”
—Library Journal
"An archaeological journey through the millennia in the Holy Land
underscores the tensions between the biblical narrative and the
historical record. . . A leisurely, entertaining walk through
the ages with a pleasant, knowledgeable guide."
—Kirkus Reviews
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