Book Review: Dateline Jerusalem, by Chris Mitchell

“History’s final chapter will be written in Jerusalem. When an Iranian president thunders a murderous threat or an obscure Turkish drunkard has a dream in Mecca or a Jewish couple from Brooklyn lands at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, these events might seem disconnected. But they’re not. In Dateline Jerusalem, CBN News correspondent Chris Mitchell connects the dots and unveils Jerusalem as the epicenter and crossroads of the spiritual, political, and, yes, supernatural worlds. For thousands of years, Jerusalem’s powerful draw has transcended simple economics, military strategy, and religious affiliation. In our own time, as the Arab Spring threatens to become an Islamic Winter, one commentator warns: “The Arab Spring doesn’t lead to democracy, it leads to Jerusalem.” Indeed, the fragile peace of Israel is in new peril as violent Islamic factions vie for control of surrounding nations. Yet Muslims are converting to Christianity in record numbers. Dateline Jerusalem untangles and chronicles all this through the riveting narrative of a Christian reporter in the upheaval of the modern Fertile Crescent. We live in a world where we cannot afford to be ill informed. What happens in the strategic Middle East, Israel, and Jerusalem is critical. It matters to you. Today’s news might focus on Washington, New York, London, or Moscow, but history’s final chapter will be written in Jerusalem.”

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I think the last days is a fascinating topic of study, and the summary of the book sounded really cool. I was looking forward to the dreams and supernatural events, but I actually found the book very dry and unexciting to read. The book was written well, and was very informative, but I was disappointed in the lack of more exciting stories. I feel like if the teaser promises “thunderous murder threats” and “crossroads….of supernatural worlds” it should be more thrilling of a tale. Maybe the teaser should have just said what the book really is: a timeline of happenings in the Middle East, some of which I was aware of from watching the news.

Overall I was disappointed and often bored when reading this book. If I had known it would be less enthralling and more like reading a news report, I probably would have selected a different book to review.

disclosure: the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®.