Description
Muslims and Jews have lived alongside one another for more than 1,400 years, in relationships shaped by coexistence, exchange and conflict. Yet contemporary debate often reduces this complex history to antagonism alone.
Historian Marc David Baer joins us to discuss Children of Abraham: The Story of Jewish-Muslim Relations, his timely new account of two communities whose intertwined histories continue to shape our world.
From seventh-century Arabia and the aftermath of the Spanish Reconquista to the modern Middle East, Baer challenges myths and counter-myths, offering a vital conversation about history, memory and understanding.
About the Author
Marc David Baer
Marc David Baer is Head of Department and Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. An American and British historian, he is an expert on Muslim-Jewish relations and the Ottoman Empire. His latest book is Children of Abraham: The Story of Jewish-Muslim Relations (Profile 2026). His previous book, The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars and Caliphs (Basic 2021), was short-listed for the Wolfson Prize in History and translated into a dozen languages. His first book, Honoured by the Glory of Islam: Conversion and Conquest in Ottoman Europe, won the Albert Hourani Prize of the Middle East Studies Association of North America as Best Book in Middle East Studies. His book, Sultanic Saviors and Tolerant Turks: Writing Ottoman Jewish History, Denying the Armenian Genocide, won the Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prize. Professor Baer also wrote The Dönme and German, Jew, Muslim, Gay.
About the Chair
Peter Oborne
Peter Oborne is an award-winning writer, journalist and broadcaster. Formerly chief political commentator at the Daily Telegraph, Oborne now writes for Middle East Eye and Byline Times. Oborne’s books include The Rise of Political Lying, The Assault on Truth, The Fate of Abraham, Complicit: Britain’s Role in the Destruction of Gaza as well as his latest book, Full Circle: A History of Cricket, published in 2026.
Join Our Mailing List
By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy Policy and to receive marketing emails, including e-newsletters and event updates from Bradford Literature Festival.