A History of the Marranos [Hardcover]

Cecil Roth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

The tradegy and romance of the story of the secret Jews of the Spanish Peninsula is a lesson that every one must learn and always remember.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: Sepher Hermon Pr; 5 Sub edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872030407
• ISBN-13: 978-0872030404
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,250,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Marranos...A typical Tudesco term of condecension, December 25, 2006

By 

Sam "Shmuel Fuentes de Lemos" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A History of Marranos (Paperback)

Cecil Roth's History of Marranos...was the first book that I read about that concerned my family's background. As I mentioned before in other reviews, The Sefaradim are always chronicled by Tudescos (Askenazim). To put it lightly, they are at best insensitive and at worst condecending towards our history and worse towards our future. I wish that this wasn't the case but history shows that we have been cast in the worst light by our Nothern Jewish brethern. The History of the Sefaradim is complex, rich in duality, and historical romanticism. The irony of being chronicled by Tudescos, is that they romantize about the riches of our Spanish Golden Era and the injustices of the our inquisition. They use this as propaganda to show the greatness of Jewish history (Tudesco inclusivity) and the sufferning complex of the Jewish soul. Yet in "their" halacha there is strong contention against our brethern (Tudesco exclusivity) returning from their Jewish exile, within the ranks of Christianity. The very same thing happened in 17th Century Amsterdam i.e., The Tudesco's condecending view of Sefaradim returning from Christian Iberia, as if they were Jews to be doubted, as if it was their fault that our parents had a choice in forced convercion? That is why as sefaradim we must question every historical account and halacha emminating from our Tudesco brethern, including Roth's skewd account. In Amsterdam their was a Sefardic tradition to not buy Casher meat from their butchers, they could not be trusted. In our days when a Jewish soul wants to come back to Their rightful religion and look for help within the Askenazi realm, they are rejected and forced to be rebaptized( that is what it ends up being) as Jews. This hummiliation is gross and has no basis that is found in the Tora, both written or oral. Yet they, the Tudescos, have placed it upon themselves to rewrite Talmudic halacha to suit their needs. In this book we find Roth saying that the Sefaradim have accepted the moniker Marrano as a "badge of honor", and that the anusim (forced converts) descendent of Sefaradim are no longer with us and dissapered from this Earth. This is pure hyperbole of the worst kind, The desendents of the Sefaradim are here right now. Amonay (G-D) has not abanded us nor forgotten us, perhaps Amonay has protected us to this day so that we can not be doubly tainted by the Tudesco mess of Secular Zionism and their weird religion.
As a historical chronical, Roth's, History of the Marranos, is somewhat factual and somewhat skewed. I hardly recommend it, because Roth can never be our spokesperson. He is a good writter and witty at times, but he also is blind as a bat when it comes to the Sephardic phenomena. Therefore, read it with a grain of salt.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good scholar work, June 9, 2007

By 

Joseph Shargal (Haifa Israel) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of the Marranos (Paperback)

This book provides a very accurate history of this dark chapter of European/Christian history. Obviously, there have been updates since this book has been published; still it remains relevant and actual.

0 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A history of the Marranos, (Harper Torchbooks, The Temple Library/TB812 P), September 27, 2005

By 

G. Vasquez - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A history of the Marranos, (Harper Torchbooks, The Temple Library/TB812 P)

I received my book promptly and in good order.