History of the Jews 1st US Edition, Kindle Edition

by Paul Johnson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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ISBN-13: 978-0060915339

ISBN-10: 0060915331

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Length: 656 pages
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A national bestseller, this brilliant 4000 year survey covers not only Jewish history but he impact of Jewish genius and imagination on the world. By the author of Modern Times: The World From the Twenties to the Eighties.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Less a seminal contribution than a distillation of a wide range of sources, this history of the Jews focuses on their four-millennia interplay with, and adaption to, other, often hostile, civilizationsa "world history seen from the viewpoint of a learned and intelligent victim." Weaving biblical and archeological data, Johnson (Modern Times and A History of Christianity is particularly deft at placing the patriarchs and early Israelites (the Bronze Age through the destruction of the First Temple) in their historical context. His dense, somewhat arbitrary, capsule extols Judaic rational scholarshipwhich contributed to ethical monotheism and the 18th-century economic system, in turnand denigrates mystic kabbalah"heresy of the most pernicious kind." Although Johnson, who seeks to acknowledge "the magnitude of the debt Christianity owes to Judaism," traces "an inherent conflict" between the religion and the state of Israel through the various ages, the work is incontrovertibly sympathetic to Zionism. BOMC and QPBC featured alternates; author tour.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Famous author-historian Johnson ( Modern Times, LJ 5/1/83; A History of Christianity, LJ 7/76) presents a provocative history of the Jewish people, religion, and culture from earliest times to the present. Astutely divided into seven sections, (Israelites, Judaism, Cathedocracy, Ghetto, Emancipation, Holocaust, and Zion), the work describes the complex interplay between Jewish and world history and shows how the course of Western civilization has been immensely influenced by this numerically small group. It's no mean feat to successfully compress 4000 years of history into 645 pages, but Johnson has more than met the challenge. Despite a few reservationsE. G. Johnson's theories regarding Jesus and the incipient Christian movement are debatablethis is an excellent, nonscholarly history for general readers. Highly recommended for public libraries. Robert A. Silver, Shaker Heights P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amazon.com Review

Paul Johnson says that writing A History of the Jews was like writing a history of the world "seen from the viewpoint of a learned and intelligent victim." Johnson's history begins with the Bible and ends with the establishment of the State of Israel. Throughout, Johnson's history is driven by a philosophical interest: "The Jews," he writes, "stand right at the centre of the perennial attempt to give human life the dignity of a purpose. Does their own history suggest that such attempts are worth making? Or does it reveal their essential futility?" Johnson's history is lucid, thorough, and--as one would expect of almost any project with such a broad scope--a little wrong-headed. By the end of the book, readers will be grateful for Johnson's questioning of the Jews' confidence in their cosmic significance. However, readers may also be a little annoyed by his energetic inquiries as to whether this significance was man-made or providentially provided. Either way, it's a given: for a historian of Israel, this should adequately settle the question. Johnson's 600-page history is probably the best we've got by a living gentile--which is no small accomplishment at all. --Michael Joseph Gross --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

''A tour de force . . . A remarkable achievement.'' --New York Times Book Review

''An absorbing, provocative, well-written, often moving book -- an insightful and impassioned blend of history and myth, story and interpretation.'' --Christian Science Monitor

''It's no mean feat to successfully compress 4,000 years of history into 645 pages, but Johnson has more than met the challenge . . . an excellent, nonscholarly history for general readers.'' --Library Journal --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

PAUL JOHNSON is a British author and historian whose works span the millennia and run the gamut of human activities. His books include Modern Times, A History of the Jews, Intellectuals, The Birth of the Modern, and The Quest for God - which have been translated into many languages. He has been a frequent contributor to the Daily Telegraph, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Spectator, and other newspapers and magazines. He has lectured to academic, business, and political audiences all over the world. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000GCFX68
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books; 1st US edition (March 17, 2009)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 17, 2009
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1323 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 656 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0060915331
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #212,235 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #9 in Jewish Hasidism (Kindle Store)
- #10 in Orthodox Judaism
- #37 in Jewish Orthodox Movements

Customer Reviews:
526 ratings

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5 star		68%
4 star		18%
3 star		6%
2 star		4%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Sherman

History I Never Learned

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2019

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I read this book because I could understand why certain people, groups, and religions so dislike the Jewish people. I have met Jews. Talked with Jews, but never had a Jewish friend with whom I could sit down with and discuss their people and religion.
History of the Jews was an eye opening read into who the Jews are. Ingenious, industrious, wise, and self sustaining. What is there not to admire about this people.
I plan to reread the entire book again. Maybe this time I’ll be able to come up with an explanation for the hatred. But I doubt it.
Paul Johnson is one hell of a writer. There is a lot of history in this book and somehow he makes it flow in a way that is understandable. The names can be a bit of a challenge. (Understatement of the year).
I should also mention Jewish history isn’t the only history in the book. There were a few surprises I never knew. Reading the book may even offer a glimpse into the future.

27 people found this helpful

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Shtarka

Jesus the Jew

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2016

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Interesting, thorough, and thoughtful history of the Jewish People, particularly because the author is not Jewish. Johnson starts his story by calling the Jews the " most tenaceous people in history." He ascribes to the Jews the "willingness to ask the difficult question", a major reason Christian dogma bogs down, according to the author.

I have a point of disagreement with the author. He describes in Jesus' life a point where Jesus "stopped being a Jew". I disagree. Jesus never stopped considering himself a Jew. This thinking occurred well after his death, and is something many educated Christians reject. They acknowledge Jesus' Jewishness.

68 people found this helpful

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Garry A. Faegenburg

Forget the Bible! THIS is the book you need to read to understand religion!

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2019

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No other book on religion (including the Bible itself) comes close to giving you the understanding of why we humans believe what we believe today when it comes to religion. The Jews were the first race to full;y document the human history of their being on this earth. People don't even realize, why it is that we believe what we believe when it comes to the major organized religions on this planet. You will learn of the constant manipulations and agendas involved in persuading humankind to follow beliefs and procedures for coming to know God. You will be astounded and horrified at the same time to learn the facts. You will come away questioning everything you have ever learned about your faith and beliefs. Paul Johnson presents FACTS, not fiction or supposition concerning the progression of religious thinking on our planet since the Jews began the chronicling of civilization long before any other race. And they did it with honesty even at their own expense. You will come to know first hand why they have been persecuted throughout history, still to this day. An UNBELIEVABLE read that should be required for EVERY human being, regardless of your faith! You will NOT come away, unaffected!

14 people found this helpful

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Seek

This book may be like reading a college textbook

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2017

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I read reviews on other books on the history of the Jews before selecting this book. This book may be like reading a college textbook, but as Paul Johnson tells, the Jewish race is the only race who has a written record that goes back to first recorded time. Johnson had written an excellent history of God and His chosen people. This ancient religious race as the author relates has spent much of her time in captivity, emancipation, ghetto, or the holocaust, yet never has lost its language, rituals, and rabbinical traditions. Yet, even today the Jews are despised and hated and Muslims wants to annihilate them. It would do these people well to learn Jewish history as well as the Bible.

31 people found this helpful

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J. Hanson

Glosses over obvious Biblical fictions

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2021

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I looked forward to this book as a committed (if non-Jewish) Zionist and someone with enormous respect for the Jews as a people (I bicycled the length of Israel a few years ago). I will admit up front that I did not get more than 30 pages into it. Why? Because the author repeatedly presented many early Biblical biographies as actual history when there is virtually zero evidence for this, while glibly passing over any critical discussion of the clearly impossible "miracles" therein. He presents some of the well-known evidence that some type of an actual catastrophic flood inspired the story of Noah, but completely fails to address the absurd notion of the Ark and the paired animals. This happens again during the Exodus and the supposed parting of the Red Sea—he credulously states that " . . . we have no idea where the hand of the Lord saved Israel from Pharaoh's army," thus implicitly buying into the idea that an actual miracle occurred. This is not why I read history. I decided I could not waste more time with an author who picks and chooses which sections of ancient, often conflicting manuscripts he decides to accept as, well, gospel. I am searching for a more scholarly history of the Jews.

3 people found this helpful

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Nicole M. Welde

Disappointing Protestant Distortion

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2020

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True scholarship involves recognizing the truth, even if it means admitting difficulties presented by the truths that one discovers. Paul Johnson, instead of humbly admitting truths that the Bible shows in the history of the Jews, or instead even of admitting that he struggles with the truths of what he found, ignores the truth in favor of promoting his own Protestant ideas. He clings to the Protestant notion that God prohibited Jews from making images, despite the fact that both the book of Exodus, in its explanation of how God wanted the ark of the covenant to be built, and the book of Numbers, in its account of the bronze serpent God commands the making of images. It is profoundly disappointing that, when presented with the opportunity of presenting the truth, Paul Johnson chose to cling to his own unfounded ideas, thus undermining his own scholarship and making his work an empty gesture.

3 people found this helpful

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Alexander Sich

Learned a lot, but...

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2019

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Indeed, I learned quite a bit. The vast sweep of history Johnson covers is impressive to say the least. The one lingering (perhaps embarrassing) image I’m left with is how ubiquitous antisemitism and Jewish suffering were... essentially without a break.

I do take some issues with some terminology AP sloppiness on Johnson’s part: (1) it’s just “Ukraine “—no need for the article “the”; (2) “Dark Ages”? Really Mr. Johnson? (3) improper use of the term “metaphysical”: he does not thereby understand this term—the term “philosophical” is more correct and appropriate.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Olympia

History of the Jews

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2018

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This book which is an epic journey should have been produced as two novels. It is quite a task to hold for any length of time a book of over 600 pages. I have only started chapter two. I find that each chapter is far too long and by the time you reach the end you've forgotten what the beginning was all about. It doesn't however take anything away from the enormous depth of knowledge and research that the author has undertaken. I bought this as a present but may have to rethink that this present might be just a little too large. A fascinating and very interesting book all the same.

2 people found this helpful

The Outsider

Catholic Guilt?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2013

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Paul Johnson is nothing but thorough in his massive and well researched history of the Jews. Though he is clear and at pains to show the truth about Jewish history and to praise Jews throughout for their contributions to the world, one cannot escape the lack of 'mea culpa' in the Catholic role of persecution - he is after all, a leading Catholic writer. He also avoids Geza Vermes' conclusion that Jesus and his followers were indeed wholly Jewish, and not some self-appointed Messiah cult. It was Paul who created the fatal schism between followers of Jesus (Joshua, to give him his right name) and the more traditional Jewish disciples who took part in the events of his life and death. All the Gospels accepted by the Church were written by Paul's followers well after his split with the Jews, and became increasingly anti-Jewish after the First Revolt against Rome. That Johnson is ignorant of these facts is simply not possible.

With these caveats, I doubt anyone, Jew or Gentile, would not learn a great deal from this one volume. I know I did. Johnson is intelligent, clear eyed, and creates some wonderful insights into the facts. That Israel today is riven by the same tensions between the worldly (Saul) and the religious (Samuel)is one bold and largely true insight. Johnson is clearly full of praise for the Jews throughout, though he is not sparing in his adept analysis of Jewish self-hatred, as seen in Marx and many other characters. This is due to the astonishing persecution throughout the ages, and the internal fight between the worldly and religious. There is much to think about here and reflect.

Johnson is also unsparing about his views of tormented Israel and the role of the Arabs, Soviet Union and oil money in creating a topsy-turvy image of Zionism as racism. Haven't Jews suffered enough? This is the question asked by the pious Jews who see Israel as man's presumptions over-stepping Gods -no, there is more to come. Though written in 1987, this book has enough bite to be relevant today, and if you have the time, patience and resolve, reading it is well worth while.

7 people found this helpful

virgilio pellandini

biblical, not historical

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2021

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A history of the Jews starting with biblical references is bound to be disappointing to the scientifically minded reader. This certainly does not bend this rule…

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

I am about halfway through with the Kindle version of ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2014

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I am about halfway through with the Kindle version of this. As is usual for Paul Johnson, it is an engaging read and hard to put down.

The reason I give it 4 stars, however, is due to the Kindle version having a few OCR rendering issues, which detract from the text occasionally (it seems about every other page in some sections). This means sometimes that I have to go elsewhere to see who or what Johnson is writing about.

(Until I started using Kindle, I had no idea how many manuscripts weren't committed to digital format by the publishing companies - some are so distractingly full of OCR rendering issues. I assume this arises from being copied from hard copies.)

One person found this helpful

Ron Wilkinson

good book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2018

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in depth study

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