The Tragedy of the Templars: the Rise and Fall of the Crusader States by Michael Haag

Following my historical fiction primer in my last post “The Land Beyond the Sea” about the Crusades of the late 12th century, I was ready to learn more about the actual city states and fate of Jerusalem after the momentous capture by Saladin’s forces in 1187. “The Tragedy of the … Continue reading

Out of Egypt: by André Aciman

Egypt in another world, Alexandria in a time that will never come again. André Aciman lays down an intricate web that covers four generations of a family that truly belongs nowhere, and struggles for identity as cultural and racial worlds collide. The term Jewish diaspora simply means the scattering of … Continue reading