The Jew, according to the Arab stereotype, is a brutal, violentcoward; the Arab, to the prejudiced Jew, is a primitive creature ofanimal vengeance and cruel desires. In this monumental work that won thePulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1986, now extensively revised and morerelevant than ever, David Shipler delves into the origins of theprejudices that have been intensified by war, terrorism, andnationalism.

Focusing on the diverse cultures that exist side by side in Israeland Israeli-controlled territories, Shipler examines the process ofindoctrination that begins in schools; he discusses the far rangingeffects of socioeconomic differences, historical conflicts between Islamand Judaism, attitudes about the Holocaust, and much more. And he writesof the people: the Arab woman in love with a Jew, the retired Israelimilitary officer, the Palestinian guerrilla, the handsome actor whosefather is Arab and whose mother is Jewish.

For Shipler, and for all who listen to this book, their stories andhundreds of others reflect not only the reality of wounded spirits butalso a glimmer of hope for eventual coexistence in the Promised Land.

"The best and most comprehensive work there is in the English languageon the subject."- Walter Laqueur, New York Times

"Thought provoking, controversial, and timely. . . ." - Library Journal