Rating: 
Summary: Informative and enjoyable
Review: Taking on the daunting task of unraveling and understanding the complicated history and political atmosphere of the Middle East might seem unattainable to most. Author, academician and geographer Dorothy Drummond has accomplished this undertaking, and succeeded in pulling it all together into a book that is at once informative, unbiased and filled with hope. Holy Land, Whose Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots (Fairhurst Press, October 2004, paperback, 329 pages) is a comprehensive look into the traditions, history and beliefs of a conflict that has raged for countless years.
Drummond manages to inform her readers on the basics, providing historical perspective and an excellent compendium of geographic references. Perhaps more remarkable, however, is her ability to draw the reader into a topic that many choose to disregard as beyond understanding. Her inclusion of first person entries from her own travel journals invite the reader on a journey towards understanding and hope for the future of this troubled region.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Simple for the Issues
Review: The author tries very hard to present the issues for beginners. However, she has made too many trade-offs, sacrificing accuracy for brevity in many places. The issue comes off as one-sided and simplistic, when in reality it is one of the most complex in international politics today. A good effort, but ultimately, a failed one.
Rating:
Summary: Whose Land Indeed
Review: The book is extremely easy to read with excellent "personal"
notes by the author interspersed throughout the text. When I
started reading, I thought that there was a bias towards one
side as the true owners of the land, but as I traversed thoughout
the book, it was obvious that each new topic was presented with
a new insight for the ownership claim. In the end, I was left
with feeling that it is impossible to draw any single conclusion
as to which side, if any, has 100% claim. The historical, religious, geographical, & social-economic facts
related show that nothing is constant throughout time to remain
as the only heritage for which a region is to be remembered. If the author's aim was to present facts for consideration of
this problem, but not draw any single conclusion, then I believe
she accomplished her goal. There may not be a solution!
Rating: 
Summary: a useful primer
Review: Where exactly is the Holy Land, who owns it & why has there been conflict over it since the beginning of time? Dorothy Drummond sets out to enlighten us with a broad overview of this eternal conflict. This is for those who are perplexed about the Middle East, who the people are, & what religions have influenced them. Both the recent history since the birth of Modern Israel & the ancient history have been researched. An accessible, readable, no-frills tour through the land & its history, out of which three monotheistic religions arose.
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