Customer Reviews

A History of the Jews

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is my third book by British historian Paul Johnson. There is no question that he is an extremely talented writer and an excellent but opinionated historian. As always this combination makes for a lively and exciting read. Johnson states in the introduction that, as a believing Christian, he feels he owes much to the Jewish people who he greatly admires. He therefore felt that he wanted to write a complete history. It proves that a good Jewish history does not need to be written by a Jew. Johnson divides Jewish history into a series of epochs, each one of which consumes a part in the book. The chapters are called "Israelites" which covers the biblical period, "Judaism" which covers the period from the building of the Second Temple through the early Christian and early Islamic period, "Cathedocracy" in which Johnson deals with the experience of the Jews under medieval Christendom and Islam, "Ghetto" which deals with the late Medieval and Renaissance period in Europe. "Emancipation" which discusses the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, "Holocaust" which needs no further explanation and "Zion" which covers not only the birth of modern Israel but also the post-war Jewish experience world wide.

This book is enormously detailed and highly opinionated. Johnson's affection for the Jewish people shines through on virtually every page. Never one to hedge on a conclusion, Johnson has opinions on everyone from Abraham to Begin. My favorite chapter was the opening one, "Israelites". Here Johnson attempts to use similarities between biblical descriptions and known facts of other ancient civilzations to demonstrate that the bible, from Abraham forward is essentially historical. This section will be of enormous interest to everyone, whatever your knowledge of the bible. The Jewish saga is the human saga. It is complete with pathos, absurdity, tragedy and triumph. It is remarkable that an ancient people could survive under such hostile conditions. Really a miracle. Johnson captures the essence of that miracle. The entire book will be of interest to those with less than complete knowledge of Jewish history. It will also be excellent reading for those who have a good knowledge of Jewish history because of Johnson's excellent writing ability. This book is well worth the money.

As an Orthodox Jew, an "insider", I was absolutely (and positively) amazed to see an "outsider", like Mr. Johnson, penetrate through the layers of confusion and misunderstandings and really "gets it". In the words of Rabbi Berel Wein (a contemporary Jewish historian), "Mr. Johnson did a much better job than many secular Jewish historians". There are many things I disagree with in this book but more often then not I found myself nodding in agreement and underlining key sentences. All this is my commentary on the CONTENTS of the book, when it comes to lucidity, choice of words and philosophical depth, well... Brilliant is putting it mildly. This book is a must-read for Jews and non-Jews alike!

I have read histrories of the Jews by at least half a dozen authors and I rate Johnson's as the best. Just as he successfully captured the character of the American people in "A History of the American People," so too, he captures the essence of Judaism, it's culture and history. What is remarkable about these two works is he is not an American (he's English) nor Jewish (he's Roman Catholic) yet observing from the "outside," he does great justice to both America and to Jews. I consider myself to be well versed in Jewish history and traditions. I am well read on the subject and, indeed, I have taught a college course in Judaism (at Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY). I find Johnson's views to be insightful and his facts to be laid out with no glaring errors. Starting in prebiblical times and continuing to the present, he tells a remarkable story. If you read only one history of the Jews, you would do well to select this one.

As a Catholic tragically aware of what he owes to the people of the Bible, I have been reading Jewish authors over the last twenty years, developing my own ghetto within my religious family and becoming extremely sensitive to gentile - not so gentle - oversimplifications concerning the Jews. Reading Paul Johnson was a permanent pleasure, if not bliss. From the standpoint of ethical monotheism, which he rightly so attributes to the Jews, he offers a thrilling travelogue across 4,000 years of human history, being honest enough to Christianity and Islam as Jewish sects which finally found a life of their own. Much before reaching his chapter on the Holocaust, his presentation on the seeds of antisemitism are extremely enlightening. This book is one of the best presents one can imagine for those who are prepared to suffer and rejoice with a people that cannot renounce to be God's elect.

Paul Johnson does the impossible, and he has done it twice. He makes history eminently readable and most enjoyable. Johnson's book on the story of Jews throughout the ages is told in a style, that I personally find satisfying. He has taken this story of five millenia and has made it flow, much like his book "Modern Times".

Johnson does focus considerably on the history of the past few hundred years, but considering what is known and unknown it does not distract from his work. The book is not merely a focus on struggles, he speaks of Zionism but also speaks of philosophy, he speaks of great men but also of scroundrels. He shows all the ages of anti-semitism, but explains many links between the people who hate and the people they hate, you learn that only slight degrees separate all of us, or at least I did. As an aside it shows how racial theories are hogwash, proven also by the book "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers", everybody...anybody could be considered in one racial group or another, Johnson doesn't make this a point, but it is evidenced through the many and unfortunate diasporas of the Jewish people.

Johnson is also not afraid to pull his punches. The people he writes about are portrayed as one may feel they should be, he tells of Heinrich Heine as he was, the same with Theodor Herzl, who were just mere mortals who did astonishing things, Heine thought he should be supported by his relatives while mocking them at the same time for their continuing practice of religion.

I recommend this book highly, it will give you a lot interesting information that you may not have grasped before. It will provide an understanding and hopefully will wash away the stereotypes you may have had or more correctly misconceptions.

This is a masterful tour through the history of civilization. The first civilized societies began to emerge about 6,000 years ago, and Jewish history goes back 4,000 years. This books sweeps you away on a ride through 2/3 of civilized history!

Other reviewers referred to Johnson's depth and breath. I loved the amazing combination of the flow of history and brief 'human interest' stories. The two fit together amazingly well, personal stories do not slow down the general sweep of the book. I also liked the fact that Johnson is not Jewish and while very sympathetic to Jews has more of an objective outsider attitude, pointing out flaws as well as achievements.

I keep recommendingthis book to my friends.

This book definitely opened my eyes as to the deep and full history of the Jewish people. For the non-Jew, it was a very moving and disturbing book. It traces the development of the Jewish nation, from Abraham to Menachim Begin. What struck me most was the immensity of the tragedies that have followed the Jews throughout history, from the Diaspora to Hitler. Johnson details their story with sympathy, but not without noting their failings as well. I found it superb and I highly recommend it. It changed my view on Jewish history and the Jewish people completely

Paul Johnson's `History of the Jews' is a well written, entertaining, and informative 4000-year history of the Jewish people. Coming in at just under 600 pages, it is exhaustive, and thus an exhausting read. Johnson makes no secret of his deep admiration for the Jews-he is a Christian who feels religiously in debt to them-and thus the entire book is written from a highly philo-Semitic perspective. The book is arranged chronologically into the following seven sections:

Part One: Israelites
Part Two: Judaism
Part Three: Cathedocracy
Part Four: Ghetto
Part Five: Emancipation
Part Six: Holocaust
Part Seven: Zion

In the Prologue, Johnson writes; "At a very early stage in their collective existence they believed they had detected a divine scheme for the human race, of which their own society was to be a pilot. They worked out their role in immense detail. They clung to it with heroic persistence in the face of savage suffering. Many of them believe it still. Others transmuted it into Promethean endeavors to raise our condition by purely human means."

Now this seems to be an accurate appraisal of the essence of Judaism, and a worldview with which Johnson agrees. He clearly believes that the Jews are God's gift to mankind and they, the enlightened ones, are here to lead the gentiles along the path to righteousness. He believes the Jews hold a "special genius" that the rest of us apparently don't. He cites their numerous contributions throughout the ages, starting with the concept of ethical monotheism, and continuing on with an "endless continuum of patient study, fruitful industry" and an untiring commitment to bettering the human condition. Of course there is some truth to the Jew's consistent intellectual proficiency, but it should be obvious that this grandiose, self-appointed scheme is inherently antagonistic and thus anti-Semitism is an inevitable result.

Although Johnson tends to downplay it at times, the book documents how Jewish actions and attitudes have played a major part in anti-Semitism since ancient times. He describes how even the ancient Greeks and Egyptians had their share of anti-Semitism due to the aloofness and subversion of this peculiar people. Of course there are and always has been irrational extremists who take anti-Semitism to a different level, but as they say, there is (at least) a grain of truth in all stereotypes, and anti-Semitism is no different. I found Johnson's handling of the anti-Semitism topic to be somewhat puzzling though. On several occasions, he comes out and describes exactly how Jewish actions led to anti-Semitism, and then turns around and writes the anti-Semites off as irrational bigots. That being said, he does document some of the more irrational incarnations of anti-Semitism, most notably the superstitious variety of Christian medieval Europe. It seems to me that throughout the ages, anti-Semitism has been a turbulent mishmash of the rational and irrational, part natural reaction to Jewish behaviors, and part memetic superstition that is passed on from one generation to the next.

As he goes through the different time periods, Johnson creates mini biographies of some of the most prominent Jews throughout history. Abraham, Moses, Maimonides, Spinoza, Disraeli, Marx, and Rothschild-among others-are all covered. I found his take on Marx to be especially interesting. Johnson claims that Marx's anti-Semitism was the foundation of communism. Indeed, Marx was virulently anti-Semitic-a self-hating Jew if you will-and Johnson argues that it was Marx's association of Jews with bourgeois capitalism that led him to his desire to crush capitalistic society. Then in his typical paradoxical style, he admits that Marx was a typical Jew in the sense that he was rabbinical, messianic, and apocalyptic. Indeed, he admits that there is something inherent in the Jewish character that lends itself toward radical movements such as communism.

The remaining sections were generally very good, although he does engage in a fair amount of speculation, and at times comes across as very anti-Gentile. Especially when it comes to the Germans and the Holocaust, where his analysis seems to be along the line of Goldhagen, i.e. "The German people knew about and acquiesced in the genocide." Though when it comes to his people, the Brits, Johnson can't seem to refrain from telling the reader what a good friend to the Jews they have always been. I actually found this more amusing than anything, but I digress.

My criticisms aside, I did find this to be a very scholarly and enjoyable work. Although I took off a star for Johnson's tendentiousness, I can't deny that he is a great scholar and talented writer. This is a thorough and engrossing history of the Jewish people from ancient times until the present, and I would whole-heartedly recommend it to Jew or Gentile alike.

To anyone who wishes to succumb to the siren song of anti-Semitism, I heartily recommend this book as an antidote. Paul Johnson brilliantly condenses four millenia of Jewish history into several hundred pages, and in so doing pulls off the impressive feat of stuffing his book with fascinating information about the history of this long-suffering people, while simultaneously maintaining and developing several predominant themes (Jewish tenacity and courage, their moral and intellectual contributions to numerous civilizations, their determination to maintain a sense of self-worth amidst adversity) throughout the text. The end result is that Jews who are either unaware of or (as is regrettably the case on occasions) ashamed of their heritage can read this book and feel pride in who they are and what their people have accomplished, while non-Jews can peruse this same text and come away with a greater appreciation not only of the struggles of the Jewish people, but also of the larger scope of human history in general. A fantastic book.

Paul Johnson writes a comprehensive and very well written account of the life of the Jews in the past 4000 years. I did not think that summarizing the history of the Jews in one volume is a feasible task, however, Johnson was able to do so, and does it beautifully. Johnson dedicates a well proportioned length to each era, recounting the history, and reflecting on the implications of the events of those eras. Recognizing the high relevance of the history of the Jews in the past four centuries to that of the present, Johnson dedicates a good portion of the book to them. I highly recommend this book.