For many of us, Bethlehem remains the semi-legendary little town at the edge of the desert described in biblical accounts; today, however, it is a city hemmed in by a wall and surrounded by 41 Israeli settlements that are guarded by soldiers. Recounting Bethlehem's history from the perspective of a resident, Nicholas Blincoe visits its monasteries, aqueducts, and orchards to show the city from every angle and era. Blincoe's portrait of Bethlehem also sheds light on one of the world's most intractable political problems, and he maintains that if the city's link to its ancient past is severed, a vital opportunity to end the Palestine-Israel conflict may be lost with it.