Customer Reviews

The Story of the Jews: A 4,000 Year Adventure

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A wonderful introduction to Jewish history in graphic novel format. Brief, but well-told, with a sensitivity to women that is a delight to see. Where else will you find Queen Alexandra, whose reign in the 1st century BCE was a golden age for the Jews, and Dona Gracia Nasi, a Jewish Italian business woman, who helped Portuguese Jews escape persecution in the 16th century CE.

Stan Mack's book is not as funny as Larry Gonick's cartoon histories, but more factual. As a result it serves as a good brief one volume history of the Jewish people. Only thing missing is a bibliography of further readings to pick up where this overview leaves the reader clamouring for more information.

I worked as a Jewish History teacher, and I used this as a supplementary textbook with my 7th-grade students. I can't begin to tell you how useful it was; this was a book that was entertaining, and yet still managed to give the basic information, its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.

Some of the darker moments in Jewish history (the Holocaust, for example) do not lend themselves easily to cartoonization (Maus notwithstanding). These were understandably the weakest parts of the book.

But I would recommend this book wholeheartedly for absolutely anyone over the age of 9...including adults.

Good Cartoon histories are not an easy find. If you have stumbled onto this one,then, by now you must have read Larry Gonick's Cartoon history of Universe too (if you havn't check it out).

The story of the Jews is a reasonable good history. It is a little pro-Jew rather than impartial. However once you take that into account and stop looking for Palestine-Israel struggle history, it becomes a good introduction to overall Jewish history throughout the ages. Cartoon Histories are fun to read and create a better impact than raw text.

I initially checked it out from my library but then I bought it. Of course it would be better if the author could become a litle more critical. Larry Gonick's Cartoon history of USA is a good example where the author went beyond normal textbook history and added his insights. Another good cartoon history is the Latino USA: A Cartoon History by Ilan Stavans. But then with so few cartoon histories (6 precisely - 4 from Gonick, 1 from Stavans and this one) you can't really afford to pass this one.

First off, I am biased. I love Stan Mack. He was my favorite cartoonist when I was in high school and college, back when he was with the Village Voice.

The book is fun and user friendly. Perfect, no - there are some areas where his NYC Liberal Jewish impulses might have stifled a deeper or more balanced approach (I think the issue of "choseness" could have been explained differently.) But over all, I highly recommend this book. Solomon Graysel and others have deeper, richer, but tougher to read books on the same topic. Why go the Stan Mack route? Stans approach is funny, edgy and smart. I loved it.

Recently featured at the 4th Annual San Diego Jewish Book Fair, Stan Mack's book covers, in cartoons and text, the amazing story of a band of desert wanderers, their travels all over the globe, their triumphs and sorrows, right up to the present day. Mixing serious subject matter with humor and even irreverance (what else?) Mack gives us an introduction to more in-depth study waiting for those "turned on" by his marvellous work. Reminiscent but much more comprehensive than the stories in the "TRUE Comics" of my youth, this work will appeal to all those who love good art, history, and explanations for what otherwise might be considered too arcane for popular literature. A "tour de force." DAW La Jolla, CA

I love the this book and concept behind it. It is light, fun and very informative. I really wish it was historically accurate.

It could have been incredible edition to Jewish History books, instead it's a cute book of comics that happen to be Jewish in nature and coincide with Jewish history.

The comics in here are admittedly simplistic, as is their view and telling of history. While many cartoonists today are making work intended for mature audiences or at least telling mature tales, this books seems to be aimed at younger readers. I don't have a problem with any of that. I was, however, surprised to see Stan Mack tell his intended audience of younger Jewish readers that "Jesus' followers saw him rise from the dead." My understanding is that not even Christians claim that any of Jesus' followers actually saw him rise from the dead, so I'm not sure why it's in here. It would be hard to write any Jewish history without including mention of Jesus, but wouldn't something like, "Jesus' followers claimed that he rose from the dead" have been more accurate?

This is one terrific approach to teaching the uninformed (Jews and others) about the history of the people and the religion's background. History with sharp humor is a rarity, especially in the vernacular of the comic book.

I learned so much I actually changed my mind about some "heroes" and learned about a few previously unknown people, developments, and events. And unlike most books on such vast topics, you can browse!

It's a delight, occasionally colored with both anger and what might be called "shtick". This is fine with me - the title openly implies his non-academic point of view.

Altogether,I found it a revelation and recommend it for almost any age.

Being a huge Stan Mack fan from his "Real Life Funnies" work in the Village Voice, I was looking forward to an iconoclastic, irreverent and hard-hitting work. The book was a huge disappointment, although the endorsements by various very "serious" individuals on the cover blurbs shoud have warned me! This is History done by the numbers, accepting all the official myths and institutionalised legends of Jewish History, thus doing a disservice to what is actually a very complex, revealing and fascinating story.

Stan Mack comes on, surprisingly enough, as a deeply religious and one-dimensional viewer of History whereas, if we know one thing about History, it's that it is anything but one-dimensional. The book, in its eagerness to toe the line, makes several blunders on historical accuracy too. Take the howler on p.230 about Hitler: "In '33, powerful industrialists got Hitler apponted Chancellor of Germany" - which is simply false. Hitler was appointed by Hindenburg, the old warrior then serving as President of the Republic after the Nazi Party amassed a considerable percentage of the popular vote. The economic establishment did want a bulwark against the Red Menace but they were not exactly happy with Hitler's strong anti-capitalist rhetoric. In other instances, the book makes no distinction between myth and reality. This could easily have been called "A Jewish Mythology".

Stan, I'm sorry but your book is definitely NOT "overheard verbatim"! It could have easily being written (and drawn - in the same bland manner) by Norman Podhoretz. A big, big letdown.

I picked up this book in the library, not knowing quite what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised! The author/illustrator uses the traditional model of Jewish history to recount the timeless story of the Chosen People, adding a poignant and humorous perspective which makes for a truly enjoyable reading experience.