The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 3: From Voltaire to Wagner [Paperback]

Leon Poliakov (Author), Miriam Kochan (Translator)

Book Description

Series: History of Anti-Semitism | Publication Date: October 15, 2003

Covering the story of prejudice against Jews from the time of Christ through the rise of Nazi Germany, The History of Anti-Semitism presents in elegant and thoughtful language a balanced, careful assessment of this egregious human failing that is nearly ubiquitous in the history of Europe.

From Voltaire to Wagner reviews the period of the European Enlightenment in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when anti-Semitism gradually stopped being an official state policy in most countries. Highlighting the emancipation of Jews as it spread across Europe, Poliakov shows how philosophers, statesmen, and some theologians became concerned with civil rights, yet the anti-Semitic beliefs of many highly regarded and influential persons remained a major roadblock to true equality and justice. The volume ends with the development of racial anti-Semitic theories bound up in the emerging modern sciences.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A scholarly but eminently readable tracing of the sources and recurring themes of anti-Semitism."—Library Journal

"Poliakov has demonstrated brilliantly how widely and deeply versed he is in his subject."—Economist

"Léon Poliakov's work on antisemitism is of enormous importance. As a work of scholarship it is almost without peer. One could have imagined that Poliakov's study might have given a long overdue burial to the longest hatred. Sadly—tragically—it has taken on a new urgency in our time as the images and issues have been resurrected at the beginning of the 21st century."—Michael Berenbaum, Director, Sigi Ziering Institute

"Highly recommended without exception."—Choice

"Poliakov has shown that anti-Semitism is no chance phenomenon but an emanation of European culture."—Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Leon Poliakov (1910-97) wrote extensively on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. His many books include Harvest of Hate: The Nazi Program for the Destruction of Jews in Europe and Aryan Myth: A History of Racist and Nationalist Ideas in Europe. He helped establish the Centre de Documentation Juive in 1943.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (October 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812218655
• ISBN-13: 978-0812218657
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book there is on cultural anti- Semitism, February 3, 2005

By 

Shalom Freedman "Shalom Freedman" (Jerusalem,Israel) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 3: From Voltaire to Wagner (Paperback)

I remember reading this book many years ago at the State University of Binghamton Harpur College Library, and being filled with sadness by it. So many of the cultural heroes of the Western world from Voltaire to Wagner were anti- Semitic, or had some anti- Semitic writings. Many such as Tolstoy Goethe Dickens balanced anti- semitism with very pro- Jewish remarks. True Nietzche stood against Wagner. But on the whole even into this century with Pound, Eliot, Celine, Heidegger there were ' great creators' who bore in their mind and soul resentment and hatred of the Jews.
Even with Shakespeare who according to Harold Bloom's wonderful exaggeration ' invented the human' there is the question of his true intent with Shylock. Does a Jew really have hands and eyes for Shakespeare?
I believe that this book should be far more widely read and known than it is. And it should be part of the legacy of all those Jews who have given their lives to Western culture.