UNDERSTANDING DHIMMITUDE brings together for the first time twenty-one talks and lectures in which Bat Ye'or explains in layman's terms the essential concepts from her studies, the fruit of over four decades of groundbreaking research. Bat Ye'or's pioneering studies of the Islamic concept of dhimmitude have revolutionized our understanding of Islam's past, present and future. She remains one of the few analysts in the world with the courage and insight necessary to tell the truth. -Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch [Bat Ye'or is] the acknowledged expert on the plight of Jews and Christians in Muslim lands, and their vigorous champion. -Sir Martin Gilbert Bat Ye'or's scholarship is highly impressive, and her analysis is as persuasive as it is terrifying. (. . .) It is imperative that these issues are openly discussed. There are, however, alarming signs of attempts in the West to shut down such discussion on spurious grounds of prejudice. This is, of course, itself a prime example of the condition of 'dhimmitude' which Bat Ye'or so graphically describes. -Melanie Phillips, Jewish Chronicle It is not surprising that [Bat] Ye'or's study of jihad and dhimmitude has been stimulating substantial and disturbing discussion in academic and ecumenical circles. (. . .) Perhaps the single most significant contribution of the author is her definition and development of the concept of 'dhimmitude' (. . .) [Bat] Ye'or's books on dhimmitude and jihad have an essential place in the ecumenical world; ignoring them will only perpetuate illusion. -James E. Biechler, Journal of Ecumenical Studies Bat Ye'or has enriched our understanding of how Islamic societies are structured by defining the concept of dhimmitude. Her contribution to Islam critique can't be underestimated. Yes, she and her late husband, the human rights activist and historian David Littman, are the king and queen of the genre. -Professor Johannes J.G. Jansen