Of Virgins and Martyrs

"An ambitious analysis of the implications of globalism and cultural conflict on the battlefield of women’s bodies... Casual readers shouldn’t be dissuaded—Jacobson’s prose is accessible, and he has treated the complicated underpinnings of identity, cultural belonging, and economic motivations with respect."

"What Jacobson does beautifully in his accessibly academic book is differentiate between politicized Islamist patriarchy and 'the broader Muslim community,' the former being 'a core expression of a deeper global fissure,' he explains... As globalization improves the status of many women, it also incites a ferocious backlash against them."

"The breadth of engagement in terms of issues, space, time, geography, and history it traverses is the book's strength... With an accessible prose peppered with rich imagery, it has something to offer to every reader..."

"Of Virgins and Martyrs cleverly written with exciting prose, would be appropriate in small doses for advanced undergraduates and in full for scholars and graduate students. Jacobson must be applauded for striking a balance between breadth and depth; the book takes readers across time and place in fairly effortless fashion, while providing specifics about various cultures, such as Cuba, the Netherlands, or Pakistan."

"A veritable tour de force, a gripping narrative, a fun read and a scholarly analysis of sex, power, violence, and sublimation."

"A fascinating exploration of the ways in which improvements in women's lives in recent years have provoked a patriarchal backlash, sometimes with violent consequences. Jacobson shows that, while the resistance to women's emancipation comes frequently from Islamist sources, the real problem lies in the persistence of traditional masculine domination in certain areas of the world—especially the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. Provocative and compelling."