A History of the Jews (0060915331)

Editorial Review:

A national bestseller, this brilliant 4000 year survey covers not only Jewish history but he impact of Jewish genius and imagination on the world. By the author of Modern Times: The World From the Twenties to the Eighties.

Paul Johnson says that writing A History of the Jews was like writing a history of the world "seen from the viewpoint of a learned and intelligent victim." Johnson's history begins with the Bible and ends with the establishment of the State of Israel. Throughout, Johnson's history is driven by a philosophical interest: "The Jews," he writes, "stand right at the centre of the perennial attempt to give human life the dignity of a purpose. Does their own history suggest that such attempts are worth making? Or does it reveal their essential futility?" Johnson's history is lucid, thorough, and--as one would expect of almost any project with such a broad scope--a little wrong-headed. By the end of the book, readers will be grateful for Johnson's questioning of the Jews' confidence in their cosmic significance. However, readers may also be a little annoyed by his energetic inquiries as to whether this significance was man-made or providentially provided. Either way, it's a given: for a historian of Israel, this should adequately settle the question. Johnson's 600-page history is probably the best we've got by a living gentile--which is no small accomplishment at all. --Michael Joseph Gross

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Balanced History:

I own several histories like this one. Well, not exactly like this one, but books on the same topic attempting to do the same. Some readers may accuse the author of partiality. Some may accuse him of dishonesty. Some may say that this is not a history at all. Well, if you do not like Jews and would rather we did not exist, do not waste your time reading this book, please, it will only aggravate you and raise your blood pressure. It talks about a long and very rich history of triumph and despair, victories... more info

Good...but More Detail than I Bargained for:

How much a reader likes this book is going to depend on what he/she expects from it. I was looking for something to give me some perspective on the tensions in the Middle East and how they came about. Having read Johnson's superb and concise biography of Winston Churchill, I was hoping this book would offer an equally efficient education on Israel/the Middle East.
As with the Churchill bio, this book is very readable. Unlike the Churchill book, it is NOT CONCISE. In fact, the author tends to ramble on... more info

A Well-Written History:

I heard of this book during a class I'm taking at my synagogue. It as highly recommended. Although I'm less than 25% into the book, I agree with highly recommending this book. The author covers a lot of ground in a very interesting fashion and had kept up my interest. It integrates a lot of sources that help understanding the flow of the history of the Jews.

Yikes! in a good way:

Good book, hard read. It's filled with detailed information. . It's a miracle that I even finished it.

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