The Letters of Martin Buber: A Life of Dialogue (Martin Buber Library) [Paperback]

Martin Buber (Author), Nahum N. Glatzer (Editor), Paul Mendes-Flohr (Editor), Richard Winston (Translator), Clara Winston (Translator), Harry Zohn (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Culled from the three-volume German edition of his correspondence, these letters trace Martin Buber's (1878-1965) transition from mystically inclined man of letters to teacher of his people who preached a renewed sense of community, a binational Palestinian homeland and a humanistic socialism derived from the Gospels and the Old Testament prophets. Marked by conversational spontaneity, Buber's letters underscore the growing contradiction and ultimate incompatibility of his roles as Zionist and a man very much at home in German culture. Along with playful, tender missives to his wife, Paula Winkler, there are fruitful exchanges with an extraordinary range of luminaries, among them Einstein, Hesse, Schweitzer, Kafka, Herzl, Camus, Chaim Weizmann, S. Y. Agnon, Stefan Zweig and Dag Hammarskjold. This lively selection was edited by Buber's close associate Glatzer, who died in 1990, and Mendes-Flohr, a professor of Jewish thought at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 722 pages
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr (Sd); First Thus edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815604203
• ISBN-13: 978-0815604204
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,251,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buber's own words still resonate, November 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Letters of Martin Buber: A Life of Dialogue (Martin Buber Library) (Paperback)

This gem is worthy of 100 stars. Bubar's early writings, the work with Gustav Landaur and Franz Rosenweig in synthesizing "Ich und Du", as well as his editorial comments to writers of Der Jude. A true Passover Feast of wisdom and compassion, even including his letter to Gandhi. The forward by Paul Mendes-Flohr serves as an excellant background.As vital today as he was at the birth of the State of Israel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Letters' of the Great Teacher of I- Thou Dialogue, June 13, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: The Letters of Martin Buber: A Life of Dialogue (Martin Buber Library) (Paperback)

In a comprehensive review of this collection of Buber's Letters, Werner Dannehauser points out one great paradox of the philosopher of Dialogue and 'I- Thou'. He apparently was not the greatest listener in the world. Nonetheless this collection contains not only Buber's letters, but a sample of the letters written to him. Perhaps for Buber himself the most important were those written by his great collaborator in Biblical Translation, Franz Rosenzweig. Buber courageously calls for the most candid and serious criticism of himself, and thanks Rosenzweig for giving it. Rosenzweig and Buber were divided on the question of the vital significance of Halachah for Jewish life and continuity.
Buber's world is a vast one intellectually, encompassing the greatest minds of his time. He is masterly and confident in tone , and words of sudden depth and profundity emanate from these pages.
This is an invaluable collection for all those who take interest in both Jewish and general intellectual history.