The Golden City

by Neil Waldman

Neil Waldman brings the colors and contrasts of Jerusalem's ancient buildings and distant hillsides to life in The Golden Jerusalem’s 3,000 Years. Filled with history, and even a time line, The Golden City takes readers on a trip into the past, starting with the year 1004 B.C.E. Waldman's beautiful illustrations of Jerusalem's hillsides and aging structures capture this city of mystery, a city that has attracted pilgrims for many centuries.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

Neil Waldman's paintings and prints are included in many prestigious collections around the world. His oils, acrylics and watercolors may be seen in the capital buildings of more than a dozen nations, and in numerous major corporations.

.....His works have garnered many awards and honours. Notable among these is a gold medal from the United Nations in a closed international competition in which Waldman was chosen to represent the United States. The world body selected his entry as the official poster for the International Year of Peace. Today it hangs in the halls of the U. N. General Assembly.

.....Waldman was commissioned by the American Brands Corporation to paint the portraits of twenty famous Americans for their centennial exhibition "The American Achievers". This collection traveled to museums, galleries and exhibit halls around the country, and was eventually published in a book of the same name. Waldman has designed postage stamps for thirteen nations, written and illustrated more than fifty books for young people, and won the Christopher Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Parents Choice Award, the American Library Association Notable Award, and a host of others. In addition, he has illustrated the covers of seven Newbery Award winners.

.....In the Summer of 2006, Waldman created the Fred Dolan Art Academy in the Bronx, along with his long-time friend, Marc Broxmeyer. The Academy's purpose is to provide motivated Bronx teenagers with the skills necessary in the development of portfolios for entry into art college. To date, twenty-one students have graduated from the academy, all twenty-one going on to college with scholarships.

Reviews

[Ben Swingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neil Waldman tells a concise story of Jerusalem's history. There are many points at which the insightful parent will instigate conversations with their children. For example, "who was that prophet who "discussed the future of humanity" with his followers?" Did he think he was only a prophet, or also a Priest-King?" "should people calling themselves 'christians' have crusaded against Jerusalem when Muslims were in charge?" "Should they have killed people through whom God chose to bless the whole world?" "How might Jesus have felt while watching from His seat at the right hand of God?" "Should Israel have taken land from Jordan during the 6-days war?" "How did the 6-days war start?"

These questions merely start the many edifying conversation that might result from this book. Perhaps some of the words Waldman uses would need to be explained to younger audiences "crusade," "ramparts" etc. But overall, it seems to be an excellent resource!

[Leah Hahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is a little better suited for older readers.
This book focuses on the history of the sacred city and includes information about the early conflicts. To add to the feeling of historical change, there are beautiful water color pictures to accompany the text.

[Lea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very informative - a concise history of the city of Jerusalem - and it is beautifully illustrated.

[Geo Hendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the pictures, I learned things I did not know, can it get any better than that!

[MaryAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations with brief narrative of the history of Jerusalem.

[Aja' Jones]

The Golden City; Jerusalem’s 3,000 Years written and illustrated by Neil Waldman is a traditional literature book. This book is mainly about the past and present of Jerusalem. IT gives us the historical and culture background religious city. Also it gives the history about how it became what it is known of it today. The theme of the book is definitely religious. If you want to teach children about their more cultural background, this book will definitely give you the insight of what happened to the “Golden City”. From this reading I learned the historical struggles and battles of this religion known of today. For teachers, I would definitely use this book for historical and religious lessons.