The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom, 1000-1500 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) [Hardcover]

Robert Chazan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521846668 | ISBN-13: 978-0521846660 | Publication Date: January 8, 2007 | Edition: 1

Between the years AD 1000 and 1500, western Christendom absorbed by conquest and attracted through immigration a growing number of Jews. This community was to make a valuable contribution to rapidly developing European civilisation but was also to suffer some terrible setbacks, culminating in a series of expulsions from the more advanced westerly areas of Europe. At the same time, vigorous new branches of world Jewry emerged and a rich new Jewish cultural legacy was created. In this important new historical synthesis, Robert Chazan discusses the Jewish experience over a 500 year period across the entire continent of Europe. As well as being the story of medieval Jewry, the book simultaneously illuminates important aspects of majority life in Europe during this period. This book is essential reading for all students of medieval Jewish history and an important reference for any scholar of medieval Europe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...this book is highly readable and well conceived." -Dean Phillip Bell, H-HRE

" Robert Chazen has presented a clear, concise, yet complex synthetic history of medieval European Jewish communities from 1000-1500. There is much here of use for a variety of readers..."
- Dana Wessell Lightfoot, Canadian Journal of History

Book Description

In the first new synthesis of medieval Jewish history to be published in ten years, Robert Chazan discusses the Jewish experience in Europe between AD 1000 and 1500. As well as being the story of medieval Jewry, the book also illuminates important aspects of majority life in Europe.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 364 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (January 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521846668
• ISBN-13: 978-0521846660
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,895,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating history, April 1, 2007

By 

E. Silverstone (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom, 1000-1500 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) (Hardcover)

A great introduction to 500 years of Jewish life in Medieval Christian Europe. The book changed my view of Jewish history. I liked how the book showed that the Jews were part of Christian Europe, not "A People Apart".

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but a bit repetitive, September 4, 2007

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K. Howe "Kevin" (Scuttling across the floors of silent seas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom, 1000-1500 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) (Paperback)

There is plenty of useful and interesting information in this book, and on the whole, it's presented well. Much of the information is repeated in several places, but the author's structure makes it difficult to avoid this problem, and his structure seems adequate compared to other possible structures he might have followed.

I did constantly find myself wondering, while reading this book, what the author meant by "creativity" with reference to the Jews. He never gives anything like a definition of the term as he intends it, which makes me suspect that the author himself doesn't quite know what he means by it.

All in all, an interesting overview of exactly the subject the title suggests.