The Jews in the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History [Hardcover]

Martin Gilbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2001

What an extraordinary chronicle of upheaval, sorrow, and achievement is the story of the Jews in the twentieth century—and who better to narrate it than the renowned British historian Sir Martin Gilbert, whose lifework has been the study of the events and personages of our time. In this richly illustrated volume he vividly describes the individuals, the historic movements, the watershed moments, and the horrific years that so profoundly changed the world and the Jewish people.

In a text interwoven with and illuminated by more than 400 fascinating photographs, many of them never before published or long forgotten, we meet the widely dispersed turn-of-the-century Jewish communities of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Then we encounter, with startling immediacy, the impassioned Zionists who set out to reclaim Palestine and the immigrant waves that poured out of Eastern Europe in search of a better life in America—among them, the brilliantly creative writers, composers, actors, and comedians who enthralled millions; and the scientists, judges, legislators, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals whose numbers can hardly be counted but whose thoughts and deeds shaped the modern world.

There is tragedy in this history: the twentieth century saw many dark years during which the Jewish people suffered pogroms, persecution, and mass murder. But the century also saw the renewal and flourishing of the Jewish community, in America, in Israel, and throughout the Diaspora. The observant, the secular, the people
gathered from the ends of the earth—all figure in the vivid portrait of the Jews at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

Sir Martin relates this astonishing and deeply moving story with the erudition and empathy that have always distinguished his writing, and with a masterful eye for the key point, the telling anecdote, the human detail that makes history come alive. While our memories are still fresh, he has fixed them indelibly in a volume that will be treasured, pored over, and passed down as the rich and definitive record of Jewish life in the twentieth century.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From the Jewish communities in turn-of-the-century Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to the Zionist settling of Palestine and the Eastern European immigration to America, from the persecutions that led to the Holocaust to the renewal of Jewish communities throughout the world, The Jews in the Twentieth Century affords its reader a panoramic view. Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill and a noted Holocaust expert, provides straightforward, chronologically organized essays about each phase of Jewish history. The photographs, however, are the real reason to spend time with this book. More than 400 images, many of them never before published, convey the breadth and depth of Jewish experience in the last century, from abject suffering to exultant singing to everyday living. After the harrowing Holocaust images of World War II, a chapter titled "Rehabilitation, Statehood and Renewal" offers an image of startling normality. A young man seated is at a desk in front of a microscope, a smile just beginning to cross his face. Through a window behind him a tree is visible, its leaves reflecting the sun. The caption reads, "Jack Brauns, a survivor of the ghetto and the concentration camps, left Austria for Italy, determined to become a surgeon." One can't help be amazed, relieved, and hopeful. --Michael Joseph Gross

From Publishers Weekly

Situated somewhere between a solid, intelligent primer and a luxurious coffee-table book, this 100-year chronicle of Jewish history, practice, culture, art and survival is informative, succinctly written and handsomely produced. Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill and noted historian, has written a text that carefully and lucidly intertwines an enormous range of people, events, themes and ideas. Simultaneously covering events in many cultures and countries on one page he moves from a Jewish French officer who interpreted for the British during WWI to Jewish theological arguments supporting the draft in the U.S. and the work of Jews in Europe in their own national war efforts he gracefully weaves a cohesive panorama of European and American history. But the backbone and glory of volume are its more then 350 photographs. While there are a plethora of head shots (perhaps more then needed) from public figures such as Walter Lippmann and Walther Rathenau to feminists such as Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Zionists such as Esther Cailingold and movie stars such as Goldie Hawn and Walter Matthau many of the historical photographs are remarkable and astonishing: Jewish resistance fighters being rounded up as the Warsaw ghetto is in flames; a "Jewish" snowman created by Hitler youth, elderly Orthodox men drinking Pepsi at an Arab cafe after the Six Day War, Hollywood star John Gilbert sitting in a director's chair with his name spelled in Yiddish on the back and a rarely seen photo of a four-year-old Anne Frank and her sister. While the book is packed full with information, there are some curious omissions, such as theologian and civil rights champion Abraham Joshua Heschel and philosopher and historian Hannah Arendt.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Schocken; 1 edition (October 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805241906
• ISBN-13: 978-0805241907
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #848,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sir Martin Gilbert is one of the leading historians of his generation. An Honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford - of which he was a fellow for thirty years - he is the official biographer of Churchill and the author of eighty books, among them Churchill - A Life and The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust. For more information please visit http://www.martingilbert

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great visual images, April 12, 2003

By 

de Pizan (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jews in the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History (Hardcover)

This book has fabulous pictures, and also a good written history of the Jews in the twentieth century. My small objection to the book is after World War II, he mostly deals with Israel, with small mention of Jews in other countries and their contributions to society. I understand why, but as the book has until then done a good job of discussing Jews throughout various countries, it's focus seems to become rather narrow. And Jews in other countries are usually mentioned only in context of immigration to or support of Israel. As the author points out, the United States has a larger Jewish population than Israel does, and so it would seem a little more discussion of Jews in the U.S. and their contributions-most of the people he mentions are writers or entertainers, would be in order. But the photos do make up for any short-comings in the commentary..

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars as usual for m. gilbert, September 9, 2005

By 

Vladimir Schuchman (rio de janeiro. brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Jews in the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History (Hardcover)

this is a very poor presentation of jews in 20th. century, tipical primitive standard m. gilbert. if some big names in western europian and american history - by all means not all - are represented, especially in germany, england, usa, almost all relevant names of eastern europe are not. and eastern europe at least was as important as western and usa jewry.

2 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Lack of accuracy, March 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Jews in the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History (Hardcover)

This book is not carefully researched. In one reference, on page 102, he refers to Soviet President Yakov Sverdlov. He states his original name was "solomon" which is untrue, and was propaganda generated by Antisemitic literature. He also states that Yakov was 44 when he died. He was 33. He was my great-grandfather, so, I am intimately familliar with his history. I found it offensive and odious that this scholar claims to present misinformation in the guise of historical truth. I would therefore be extremely dubious of his other findings.