Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 592 pages
- Published by: Signet Classics
- Edition: 2nd Edition June 1, 2004
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0451529405
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0451529404
-
Book Dimensions:
6.8 x 4.4 x 1 inches
- Weighs: 7.2 ounces
From Library Journal
The vitality and longevity of Jewish culture raises the question: How did this tenacious people survive throughout history when many other cultures and religions were annihilated or absorbed? Uniquely, they accomplished this without a homeland for nearly 2000 years. The work, a revision of a huge history written shortly after
World War II, doesn't dwell on the Holocaust but presents a history of ancient and modern Jewish states and spells out how Torah and Talmud kept alive a tradition of abstract thought: a potent survival tool. The work also details differences between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews and the split that created Christianity. The rift among the Semites, i.e., with Islam and the Arabs, gets less attention. Anna Fields narrates this classic, which, to Jews and non-Jews alike, successfully captures the history of the Jewish experience. A useful addition to most collections.AJames Dudley, Copiague, NY.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
From AudioFile
Referencing the Old Testament and Palestine's influence on world civilization, Finnish-American Dimont's secular history of the Jewish people was a surprise bestseller when originally published, and it has remained in print for more than twenty years. Deservedly so, for, despite quibbles from historians and religious partisans, the author has turned four thousand years in the life of one people into a lively, canny, authoritative, brainy and informative page-turner. To appreciate this audio, one must accept the kind of trade-offs encountered when a work that exists in space is translated into a work that exists in time. These include the inability to refer to indices, improbabilities of translating charts and graphs to sound, troubles going back and forth with footnotes, the need for heavy concentration to absorb the sheer density of data. On the plus side, one enjoys the accurate pronunciation of foreign words and phrases, as well as the narrator's animation of concepts and events. Anna Fields does a nice job here. Her listener-friendly cadences express not only the sense of the lines, but also the connections among ideas and the author's underlying intelligence. Be that as it may, to get the most out of the recording, one must still follow along with the text. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Jews, God and History: Revised and Updated Edition (Paperback)
I had not much luck with finding a really good history of Judaism until I stumbled across this book and bought it on a whim. What I got was what I really wanted: a well-written history of the Jews from ancient times to today. Two things make this book great. First, Dimont is a good writer, both insightful and entertaining, with occasional flashes of ironic humor. Second, Dimont puts the history of the Jews in the larger context of World History and keeps from a narrower Jewish perspective. On the one hand, Dimont does not hide his general admiration for the Jews, both for their endurance and their contributions to society that are far out of proportion to their percentage of the populace. On the other hand, for those who believe that Jews have suffered nothing but persecution for thousands of years, Dimont presents a different viewpoint which shows Jews often prospering. No one will find Dimont fully objective in his history, but they should find that he presents an overall balanced work. Written with both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences in mind, Dimont has put together a wonderful book that is good for both those interested in Jewish history or those interested in Western history in general.
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