This popular history of the Jewish people succeeds in bringing the four thousand year saga alive for the general reader. The author observes that even though the furniture of the West may be Greek, the house of Western civilization is Jewish. One of the questions examined in this book is: How did the Jewish people survive the disappearance of every civilization in which they lived? The following six eras are discussed in the...
7Report
A book that spans Abraham to Maimonides to Disraeli can't get every detail in, but I still found the book very informative. I found Dimont's interpretation of events enlightening -- for example, in the Middle Ages the ghettoization and ostracization of Jews, in a way, helped the Jews, because they were free from the ludicrous system of Feudalism. Could we consider the Jews the originators of the Free Market system (which...
6Report
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...
5Report
This book was recommended to my by an internet friend. It is far outside of my usual area of reading. I did not think that I would understand the book, much less enjoy the read. Just how interesting would Jewish history be to a Christian? I was very wrong in my assumptions. This book turned out to be a real page- turner. I couldn't put it down. When I was in high school, many years ago, I could never figure out what...
3Report
This book truly reviews the glorious history of the Jews. I couldn't put it down. The facts and the fiction that have been discussed and written about over the centuries were touched on with great passion and research. This book makes me proud to be a part of the Jewish people.
3Report