A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood [Hardcover]

Raymond P. Scheindlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998

A Short History of the Jewish People fills a gap in the literature by providing a concise, popularly written narrative account that introduces readers to all of the major political events, wanderings, cultural environments, and individuals to contribute to the shaping of the Jewish people into who they are today. Organized chronologically, the book covers the entire sweep of the Jewish experience from legendary times to the peace agreements now being negotiated in the Middle East. Each chapter covers one of the chronological units generally accepted among historians (The First Commonwealth, The Second Commonwealth, The Jews in the Age of Islamic Ascendancy, etc.). Maps, illustrations, and sidebars with entertaining stories enliven the very readable text. For general readers and students alike, A Short History of the Jewish People will satisfy the broad audience in need of a definitive history to be read in one or two enjoyable, informative sittings.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Jewish history is often told not as a narrative of real people with human problems and interests but as an idealized national myth," writes Raymond Scheinlin, in the introduction to his excellent A Short History of the Jewish People. Scheinlin is an observant Jew, but his book is not a history of the Jewish religion. It is a history of Jewish tribes around the world and the ways "they have interacted with the nations and cultures among whom they have lived, adapting to their environment while retaining a variety of continuities." The book's brevity precludes exhaustiveness, but its focus on particular Jewish communities and its disciplined analysis of their political successes and foibles give readers a firm grasp on the movements in Jewish history that have shaped the Middle East, Europe, and America. Amply illustrated with maps and photographs, the fluid prose of Scheinlin's History make this book a useful starting point for anyone seeking a secular history of Judaism that is neither skeptical nor hostile to religion. --Michael Joseph Gross

Review

"[A] well-written, handy little textbook....The book is well supplied with pedagogical aids, including excellent maps, boxes that explore allusions in the text itself in greater depth, a selected bibliography for each chapter, and a thorough index. As such it will be of great use as the first text in introductory surveys of the history of the Jews or the history of Judaism. It will also provide instructors with good foundations upon which to add more detailed material."--Religious Studies Review

"Scheindlin's short book provides a concise and readable summary of more than 3,000 years of Jewish history. It provides the student and general reader with an excellent introduction to the topic."--Marvin Swartz, University of Massachussetts at Amherst

"Scheindlin, a respected Hebrew scholar, cultural historian, noted author and rabbi, undertakes the daunting task of summarizing Jewish history in a concise fashion....In his narrative, ...Scheindlin sheds light on Jewish experience staring with legendary times to today's ongoing Middle East process. He doesn't shy away from problems the world's Jews have faced during their history, but concludes that 'in many ways, the Jewish condition in the present is better than it has been at any time since antiquity."--The Topeka Capital-Journal --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan General Reference (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028625862
• ISBN-13: 978-0028625867
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,086,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Secular History Of The Jews- Beautifully Written, December 3, 2003

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood (Hardcover)

Raymond P. Scheindlin has managed to write, in 263 pages, an accurate, secular and very readable history of the Jewish people. He takes the reader, chronologically, from the period of the first known references to the Israelites outside the Bible, (1220 B.C.E.), an Egyptian inscription commemorating the victory of the pharaoh Marniptah over the wandering tribe, to the declaration of Israeli statehood in 1948, and further still to the present peace negotiations in the Middle East. This sweeping and highly informative work presents the major geographical, cultural and political forces that have determined the course of Jewish history. Scheindlin also discusses the many individuals, secular and religious, who have shaped the mindset and character of the Jewish people.

I am taking a course in Jewish history and asked my professor for "an excellent but readable book" on the subject. I told him I wanted to be able to "enjoy the reading process as well as study." He immediately suggested Rabbi Scheindlin's "A Short History of the Jewish People." I must say that if it is possible to call a history book "riveting" and "compelling" and still maintain credibility, I will say it. I could not put the book down! The text is beautifully written and the history itself, as well as the people who made it, are fascinating. The book also serves as an excellent outline of Jewish History and has assisted me in understanding the course's assigned texts. Highly recommended!
JANA

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb, Stylish summary of Jewish History, January 5, 2005

By 

M. Stein (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood (Paperback)

Although one can quibble over specific statements and interpretations (e.g. he writes that Yiddish is a dialect of modern German, when actually it derives from Middle German and is as much a dialect as English is, which also evolved from Middle German) or his inclusion or exclusion of certain figures, facts, etc.-- overall Scheindlin has created a superb work. It is concise, well written, and nicely complemented with clear historical timelines, maps, and small topical essays.

The book is well organized with sensitivity to the difficulty of understanding the tremendous amount of material being covered. The chapters break down as follows:

1) Israelite Origins and Kingdom [Biblical] (c1220 BCE - 587 BCE)

2) Judea and the Origins of the Diaspora [2nd Temple Period] (587 BCE - 70 CE)

3) Roman Palestine and Sassanid Babylonia [Classical Rabbinic Period] (70 CE - 632 CE)

4) Jews in the Islamic World: From the Rise of Islam to the End of the Middle Ages (632 CE - 1500 CE)

5) Jews of Medieval Christian Europe (9th century to 1500)

6) Jews in the Ottoman Empire and Middle East (1453 - 1948)

7) Jews of Western Europe (1500 - 1900)

8) Jews of Eastern Europe and the United States (1770 - 1940)

9) The Holocaust (appx. 1925 - 1946)

10) Zionism and the Origins of the State of Israel (appx. 1862 - 1948)

11) The Jewish People after 1948

This is an excellent historical primer and contains a good bibliography for further study.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Narators of History, February 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood (Hardcover)

This book serves as an excellent outline of Jewish History. If there is a time period you are not familiar with, this book will illuminate using the Jews as narators. An accurate, reliable telling, which can be used by the reader as a launching point for further study on a wide range of historical events and personalities.