The Story of the Jews : A 4,000-Year Adventure (Paperback)

~ Stan Mack (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For every Talmudic scholar there are 10 well-intended souls who can't scan a page of Genesis without snoring. But thanks to Stan Mack, the history of the Jews is accessible to anyone who's ever succeeded in reading the comics. With humor, biblical quotes, cartoon sketches, historical accuracy, and an irreverent tone, Mack sums up 4,000 years of Jewish history in a fast-paced, delightful narrative. So a few incidents and details get lost along the way--more important is that what's included actually gets read, because Mack's style and drawings are so beguiling. From Abraham's covenant with God and the introduction of monotheism (a Jewish soldier instructs a Canaanite at sword point, saying "Y'see, our God isn't really fighting your God because our God is your God and your God isn't really a God because...") to today's diverse denominations ("My synagogue is unaffiliated. Our members have an equal say, are nonideological, and have low dues"), Mack's quips and sketches cover a lot of ground, from the Exodus, Romans, Christians and Moslems, onward. He sashays through ghettos and shtetls, illustrates Europe's anti-Semitism and Zionist fever, breezes through immigration to the U.S., WWII, and the establishment of Israel, ending with Jewish culture in the late 20th century. Backed by an index (which makes this a reference instead of a comic book) and a savvy political cartoonist's eye for irony, Mack's book emanates a fondness for his subject. And he tells a good story. --Stephanie Gold --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-At a near breakneck pace, this graphic-novel-style capitulation of history may be short on explanations but does an extraordinary job of presenting the experiences of the Jewish people in relation to social developments and political exigencies of every era. Humorous line cartoons with the occasional dialogue balloon expressing an "Oy" or an exemplary bit of pilpul carry readers through centuries of Biblical trials, tribulations, and discoveries. Secular Jews may find themselves deeply engaged by this facile journey through a past they haven't been able to reconstruct from traditional world-history courses. Other readers, too, will find a gem or two to nod and smile over. The greatest strength of this text is Mack's ability to humanize the nexus of cultures, whether it is Jews with Syrians, Jews with Greeks, or Jews arriving in the U.S. A supplement to ethnic-studies texts as well as an informative choice for casual readers.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580231551
• ISBN-13: 978-1580231558
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #385,255 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute, I wish it was Accurate!, June 24, 2008

By	Yisroel Bernath ""The Book Rabbi"" (Montreal, QC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertainment, information, and a whole lot of fun, March 30, 2000

By	David Dressler (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Story of the Jews: A 4,000 Year Adventure (Hardcover)

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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and user friendly, July 21, 2004

By	Marc Rentzer (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.