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Bethlehem: Biography of a Town
"[ Bethlehem ] brings within reach 11,000 years of history, centering on the beloved town's unique place in the world. Blincoe's love of Bethlehem is compelling, even as he does not shy away from the complexities of its chronicle." -- President Jimmy Carter
Bethlehem is so suffused with history and myth that it feels like an unreal city even to those who call it home. For many, Bethlehem remains the little town at the edge of the desert described in Biblical accounts. Today, the city is hemmed in by a wall and surrounded by forty-one Israeli settlements and hostile settlers and soldiers.
Nicholas Blincoe tells the town's history through the visceral experience of living there, taking readers through its stone streets and desert wadis, its monasteries, aqueducts, and orchards to show the city from every angle and era. His portrait of Bethlehem sheds light on one of the world's most intractable political problems, and he maintains that if the long thread winding back to the city's ancient past is severed, the chances of an end to the Palestine-Israel conflict will be lost with it.
Bethlehem is so suffused with history and myth that it feels like an unreal city even to those who call it home. For many, Bethlehem remains the little town at the edge of the desert described in Biblical accounts. Today, the city is hemmed in by a wall and surrounded by forty-one Israeli settlements and hostile settlers and soldiers.
Nicholas Blincoe tells the town's history through the visceral experience of living there, taking readers through its stone streets and desert wadis, its monasteries, aqueducts, and orchards to show the city from every angle and era. His portrait of Bethlehem sheds light on one of the world's most intractable political problems, and he maintains that if the long thread winding back to the city's ancient past is severed, the chances of an end to the Palestine-Israel conflict will be lost with it.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2017
32 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Blincoe
29 books20 followersBlincoe was born in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1965. After briefly studying art at Middlesex Polytechnic he attended the University of Warwick where he studied Philosophy, gaining a PhD in 1993. The thesis was entitled Depression and Economics. The thesis explored the relationship between political sciences and economic theories, with particular reference to the philosophy of Jacques Derrida.
Blincoe released a Hip-Hop record on Manchester's Factory Records in 1987 and his subsequent relationship with Factory records and the nightclub The Haçienda informed his early work.
In 1995, Blincoe married the Bethlehem Palestinian film-maker Leila Sansour, director of the documentary Jeremy Hardy vs The Israeli Army (2003).
Blincoe has written for British radio and television, including episodes of the BBC TV series Waking The Dead and Channel 4's Goldplated. As a critic and reviewer he has worked for the Modern Review, under the editorship of Toby Young and Julie Burchill. He was a columnist for the London Daily Telegraph until September 2006, writing the weekly 'Marginalia' column.
He is the author of six novels, Acid Casuals (1995), Jello Salad (1997), Manchester Slingback (1998), The Dope Priest (1999), White Mice (2002), Burning Paris (2004). He was a founding member of the New Puritans literary movement and co-edited (with Matt Thorne) the anthology 'All Hail The New Puritans' (2000) which included contributions from Alex Garland, Toby Litt, Geoff Dyer, Daren King, Simon Lewis, and Scarlett Thomas.
Blincoe won the Crime Writer's Association Silver Dagger for his novel Manchester Slingback in 1998. His early novels were crime thrillers set in or around his native Lancashire and the clubs of Manchester.
Some of his more recent novels reflect his life split between homes in London and Bethlehem. He is also a co-editor of a book on the International Solidarity Movement Peace Under Fire: Israel/Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement (2003) with Josie Sandercock, Radhika Sainath, Marissa Mcloughlin, Hussein Khalili, Huwaida Arraf and Ghassan Andoni.
Blincoe released a Hip-Hop record on Manchester's Factory Records in 1987 and his subsequent relationship with Factory records and the nightclub The Haçienda informed his early work.
In 1995, Blincoe married the Bethlehem Palestinian film-maker Leila Sansour, director of the documentary Jeremy Hardy vs The Israeli Army (2003).
Blincoe has written for British radio and television, including episodes of the BBC TV series Waking The Dead and Channel 4's Goldplated. As a critic and reviewer he has worked for the Modern Review, under the editorship of Toby Young and Julie Burchill. He was a columnist for the London Daily Telegraph until September 2006, writing the weekly 'Marginalia' column.
He is the author of six novels, Acid Casuals (1995), Jello Salad (1997), Manchester Slingback (1998), The Dope Priest (1999), White Mice (2002), Burning Paris (2004). He was a founding member of the New Puritans literary movement and co-edited (with Matt Thorne) the anthology 'All Hail The New Puritans' (2000) which included contributions from Alex Garland, Toby Litt, Geoff Dyer, Daren King, Simon Lewis, and Scarlett Thomas.
Blincoe won the Crime Writer's Association Silver Dagger for his novel Manchester Slingback in 1998. His early novels were crime thrillers set in or around his native Lancashire and the clubs of Manchester.
Some of his more recent novels reflect his life split between homes in London and Bethlehem. He is also a co-editor of a book on the International Solidarity Movement Peace Under Fire: Israel/Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement (2003) with Josie Sandercock, Radhika Sainath, Marissa Mcloughlin, Hussein Khalili, Huwaida Arraf and Ghassan Andoni.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 23, 2020
So I was misled when I chose to read this book, I thought I would read an ethnographical account of the town of Bethlehem but what I got instead was a whole historical account of a town that is over 2000 years old , I think the book went a little bit overboard with all the historical references and trying to explain the larger issues that the Middle East has ever been involved in clearly needed a bigger book and not to be inside a book that supposedly was about a specific town. While I appreciate the effort by the author and the research in putting this book together I think that vast amount of information about empires in the Middle East , ancient Jerusalem history and the crusader states wasn’t necessary in this book as they took away the emphasis of the ancient town of Bethlehem which was supposed to be the main theme of the book. Also I do not like indoctrination in any book I read and after reading this book I can tell that the author has a clear bias in the issues represented in this book and tries to sneakily hammer you with his opinions on the matter (I won’t say what his bias is as I think you need to read the book to experience it for yourself) .
August 24, 2019
Kurang trivial untuk sebuah biografi. Terasa lebih kepada buku sejarah.
June 28, 2019
I want to explain that I am giving this a one star rating as objectively as possible, as it was poorly written, a bad history and reeking of prejudice. This book is presented as a history of Bethlehem, but saying so is generous at best, since it relies heavily on the personal stories and opinions of the author, British novelist Nicholas Blincoe. While using these stories could help illustrate the town, they always seem to revolve around him and point to the worst qualities in the Israelis, often without any relevant details about Bethlehem or its inhabitants, painting the Palestinians as lacking agency. Along with being poorly written and presenting historical data in a very biased and often inaccurate way, this book dehumanizes both Jews and Palestinians in a Eurocentric worldview. He leaves out a lot of historical details in an effort to enforce his own flimsy narrative. In the very beginning he uses a cute metaphor of the Christmas Pudding and how essentially all the ingredients could be found in his host’s garden (in Bethlehem) and how each ingredient could theoretically represent different eras, such as citrus during the period of medieval trade. It was a cute metaphor, albeit exaggerated. As I read the book I realized that although it was ridiculous to think that the Christmas Pudding could be a proper metaphor for Middle Eastern town, it was a fantastic metaphor for the book. It was an invention by a British person to serve to the tastes of other Brits, Europeans and some North Americans, with exaggerated elements that could be found in Bethlehem, but did not truly reflect the city or its history.
July 27, 2021
A personal story of Bethlehem seen through the eyes of Englishman married to a Palestinian woman. A mixture of history, personal observations and views on the current problems between Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants. Would like to see a more comprehensive and less biased view of this long and protracted issue.
March 8, 2021
A surprising look at a relatively youthful city in historical terms...yet stationed at the crossroads of so many key events, and in the cross-hairs of so many empires and conquerors. If you think Bethlehem has only one story, then you need to read this excellent work...you will be quickly disabused of that notion.
February 2, 2024
I truly want to give this book 2.5 stars. I knew from the introduction that this book is coming from a secular perspective, but was shocked by his complete disregard of any truth in religious texts. The most surprising to me was Blincoe’s suggestion that the Septuagint was the first version of the Hebrew Bible. Even the more liberal biblical scholars I’ve read suggest it was written as late as the Exile in Babylon and based it on oral traditions. His lack of serious mention of Jewish people living in Palestine before Herod is also concerning.
The most compelling chapters were the last two, which focus on the current state of Palestine. I am grateful for the added context and the stories of the author living in Bethlehem. I am praying for peace and justice there every day.
I don’t know if I would recommend this book, but I do think it’s important to learn about different perspectives and sit in that discomfort. Ultimately I’m glad I read it.
The most compelling chapters were the last two, which focus on the current state of Palestine. I am grateful for the added context and the stories of the author living in Bethlehem. I am praying for peace and justice there every day.
I don’t know if I would recommend this book, but I do think it’s important to learn about different perspectives and sit in that discomfort. Ultimately I’m glad I read it.
December 19, 2018
I read this as research for a novel set in 1st c Bethlehem, and it definitely gave me the kind of geographic and cultural details I was looking for, but in the first three chapters the author’s iconoclastic POV was obvious. He seemed to have an agenda of debunking anything that might give the modern state of Israel a claim to the land. It wasn’t the facts that disturbed me (I am very sympathetic to the Palestinian cause), but I didn’t appreciate the tone of disdain for any truth that might be embedded in the biblical record. The result was to undermine my confidence in everything he said about the current political situation on the West Bank even though our sympathies lie in the same direction.
August 9, 2021
I will almost always finish a book, regardless so how bad it is. With this one, I had to stop. Was just way way way too dry for me. I couldn't finish it
January 6, 2025
Bethlehem: Biography of A Town
By Nicholas Blincoe
Published by Little Brown Book Group
Goodread's Rating: 3.25/5
My Rating: 1/5
Nicholas Blincoe’s Bethlehem: Biography of a Town is a masterclass in how to write a tone-deaf and shallow account of one of the world’s most significant towns. While the writing initially captivates with its lyrical descriptions and metaphors, it soon becomes clear that this book is less about Bethlehem’s soul and more about indulging a romanticized, colonial gaze.
Take his metaphor of Bethlehem as a British Christmas pudding—a poetic flourish that quickly turns sour. By tying Bethlehem’s identity to a British culinary invention, Blincoe unwittingly highlights the absurdity of viewing Palestinian history through imperialist lenses. This misplaced metaphor becomes especially offensive in light of Britain’s infamous role in the region, particularly the Balfour Declaration, which laid the groundwork for decades of displacement, apartheid, and suffering for Palestinians. That Blincoe, a British author married to a Palestinian woman, conveniently sidesteps these brutal truths only adds to the book’s disingenuous nature. Worse still, his wife appears prouder of her British affiliation than the Palestinian heritage he claims to honour in this work—a detail that casts an unsettling shadow over the entire narrative.
Rather than offering a meaningful biography of Bethlehem, Blincoe crafts a sanitized, romanticized account that flatters British imperialism while trivializing Palestinian struggles. He fails to engage with the town’s modern realities: the aftermath of the Nakba, the occupation, or the ongoing efforts to erase Palestinian identity. Instead, he seems preoccupied with painting pretty pictures of Bethlehem as a quaint town, detached from the blood and resilience that define its history.
This kind of writing does more harm than good. It perpetuates the colonial trope of Western authors acting as “benevolent storytellers” while erasing the voices of the very people they claim to represent. For anyone seeking an authentic account of Bethlehem and Palestine, this book is not just disappointing—it’s an insult. Save your time and money for works by actual Palestinian writers. This book might be better suited for the fireplace—or perhaps, to use its pages to let your sick pets vomit.
By Nicholas Blincoe
Published by Little Brown Book Group
Goodread's Rating: 3.25/5
My Rating: 1/5
Nicholas Blincoe’s Bethlehem: Biography of a Town is a masterclass in how to write a tone-deaf and shallow account of one of the world’s most significant towns. While the writing initially captivates with its lyrical descriptions and metaphors, it soon becomes clear that this book is less about Bethlehem’s soul and more about indulging a romanticized, colonial gaze.
Take his metaphor of Bethlehem as a British Christmas pudding—a poetic flourish that quickly turns sour. By tying Bethlehem’s identity to a British culinary invention, Blincoe unwittingly highlights the absurdity of viewing Palestinian history through imperialist lenses. This misplaced metaphor becomes especially offensive in light of Britain’s infamous role in the region, particularly the Balfour Declaration, which laid the groundwork for decades of displacement, apartheid, and suffering for Palestinians. That Blincoe, a British author married to a Palestinian woman, conveniently sidesteps these brutal truths only adds to the book’s disingenuous nature. Worse still, his wife appears prouder of her British affiliation than the Palestinian heritage he claims to honour in this work—a detail that casts an unsettling shadow over the entire narrative.
Rather than offering a meaningful biography of Bethlehem, Blincoe crafts a sanitized, romanticized account that flatters British imperialism while trivializing Palestinian struggles. He fails to engage with the town’s modern realities: the aftermath of the Nakba, the occupation, or the ongoing efforts to erase Palestinian identity. Instead, he seems preoccupied with painting pretty pictures of Bethlehem as a quaint town, detached from the blood and resilience that define its history.
This kind of writing does more harm than good. It perpetuates the colonial trope of Western authors acting as “benevolent storytellers” while erasing the voices of the very people they claim to represent. For anyone seeking an authentic account of Bethlehem and Palestine, this book is not just disappointing—it’s an insult. Save your time and money for works by actual Palestinian writers. This book might be better suited for the fireplace—or perhaps, to use its pages to let your sick pets vomit.
July 14, 2025
I found this one in my dad’s bookshelf and decided to give it a read. Arcing back into the distant past, Bethlehem has a long and complicated history. As might be expected for a popular book, much of the biblical account of Bethlehem – King David and “King” Jesus – is not taken very seriously. Rightly or wrongly, little attempt is made to blend archaeological ‘inconsistencies’ with scriptural stories which removes some of the richness of Bethlehem’s history. Somehow the story didn’t pull me in, neither Blincoes’s personal experience and interactions, nor the descriptions of Bethlehem’s inhabitants as they navigated the tos and fros of some of the world’s most powerful empires (Rome, Ottoman, Britain). On reflection, I think I found the chapters and book missing a theme or purpose that tied together the various episodes – if there are key facets about Bethlehem that make it deserving of a 200 page book, they didn’t cut through to me as I was reading it. Which is a shame, because Blincoe clearly loves the place and its people, and I would have liked to have shared some of his enthusiasm.
January 4, 2023
Gave up after 1/2 into chapter 1. The author is intent on two things - attempting to paint wordy pictures and making the book a masterpiece of descriptive wonder (he fails) and attempting to discredit the Bible, Judaism and Christianity at every opportunity (and most of the time he makes the opportunity).
I gave up highly disappointed because I was eager to read and learn about Bethlehem. He seemed more eager to dismantle than to inform.
A couple of examples:
"It's obvious Bethlehem is nowhere near as old as the Bible claims." (p15)
"The Bible is not a reliable guide to history..." (p213) ~ a footnote to the introduction
I gave up highly disappointed because I was eager to read and learn about Bethlehem. He seemed more eager to dismantle than to inform.
A couple of examples:
"It's obvious Bethlehem is nowhere near as old as the Bible claims." (p15)
"The Bible is not a reliable guide to history..." (p213) ~ a footnote to the introduction
August 17, 2019
Blincoe compresses millenias of material into a readable, cogent story with the warm tone of one who continues to live Bethlehem's dramas. His treatment is fair without hiding his biases. His analysis benefits from the perspective of an outsider who has become an insider. Telling the story in a couple of hundred pages allows little depth in many places, but should provoke a commendable desire to delve.
March 10, 2024
A solid and intriguing read into the history of a melting pot town. Palestinian Christians, Christian schism within those groups, Palestinian Muslims, the occasional town dwelling Jew and recently, Jewish settlers. A lot of literature focuses on Jerusalem, but not this town that supplies its water. The confusing and thousand layers of occupation, war and counter occupation over history with no clear resolution in sight.
March 31, 2024
I had hoped that this book would be something other than it was. However, once I got used to how it was going to be, it was worth reading. Not much archaeology, a little too much politics, but I did learn things and absorb new thoughts from a different point of view—a point of view not Christian, not Jewish, not Zionist.
March 19, 2018
Fascinating history and portrait of the city of Bethlehem and all the cultures, faiths, ethnicities, and people who have made it an international crossroads for the several centuries. The author really demonstrated that no one cultural or ethnic heritage could ever have an exclusive claim upon it.
April 19, 2020
An excellently written book that exposes why Palestinians should not assume the Jewish narrative.
Many things that clash with mainstream Jewish self understanding should not be a reason not to engage with the Palestinian narrative that is well displayed in this book.
Many things that clash with mainstream Jewish self understanding should not be a reason not to engage with the Palestinian narrative that is well displayed in this book.
December 31, 2024
Read expecting a travelogue or a series of blogs, not a diss but a more accurate expectation for a book mixed with personal narrative, historical accounts and a lot of in between. Came away with a greater appreciation for a historic town I had the privilege of visiting.
October 28, 2025
I was hoping to learn the cultural and religious history of the City and the first 60% did a good job of that with plenty of interesting details.
What I did not anticipate was the final portion of the book being solely about the plight of the Palestinian people from an obviously biased author.
What I did not anticipate was the final portion of the book being solely about the plight of the Palestinian people from an obviously biased author.
December 15, 2017
I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads giveaway program. Very informative book about the town of Bethlehem. Sometimes maybe too informative but a very solid history.
October 23, 2020
I need to google the facts and names in order to have better understanding regarding the story. Good introduction regarding Palestine-Israel issue and history.
May 28, 2021
3.5/5
May 29, 2021
So many people came and went,
Not just the baby heaven-sent.
Not just the baby heaven-sent.
November 26, 2021
In typically English anti-Semitic style the author rewrites history to exclude the Jews and show they for what he sees them to be… evil. Akin to the protocols of Zion. Not worth the read
March 17, 2022
So, you might not be interested in Bethlehem, but if you become so, this is the book to read.
July 24, 2024
Interesting history and perspective.
October 2, 2020
Purchase Bethlehem here for just $10!
Blincoe has a boots-on-the-ground first hand account of living in Bethlehem, which brings an authenticity most books do not have. He has strong opinions, which are not hidden, and allow you to see another's point-of-view.
Elisa - The Book Grocer
Blincoe has a boots-on-the-ground first hand account of living in Bethlehem, which brings an authenticity most books do not have. He has strong opinions, which are not hidden, and allow you to see another's point-of-view.
Elisa - The Book Grocer
May 30, 2020
Began this book in anticipation of a March return trip to Israel, this time to include a visit to Bethlehem.
Lots of unexpected information about the history of Bethlehem and Palestine, especially Arab Christians. Not particularly well written with quite a few errata. I wish I had completed it before I planned the Israel trip, instead of after returning.
Lots of unexpected information about the history of Bethlehem and Palestine, especially Arab Christians. Not particularly well written with quite a few errata. I wish I had completed it before I planned the Israel trip, instead of after returning.
August 25, 2019
Bethlehem is part history, part travelogue/memoir with a welcoming emphasis on gastronomy. One thing that detracts from book is the annoying style of footnoting. There were footnotes, you just need to guess what statements are sourced. Even though he is prone to making controversial statements as fact, this is still a really good book with an extensive bibliography.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews