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Amos Elon

The Pity of It All: A Portrait of the German-Jewish Epoch, 1743-1933 Paperback – December 1, 2003

by Amos Elon (Author)

179 ratings

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In this important work of historical restoration, Amos Elon shows how a persecuted clan of cattle dealers and wandering peddlers was transformed into a stunningly successful community of writers, philosophers, scientists, tycoons, and activists. In engaging, brilliantly etched portraits of Moses Mendelssohn, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, Hannah Arendt, and many others, Elon traces how a small minority came to be perceived as a deadly threat
to German national integrity.

Print length

464 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Picador
Publication date

December 1, 2003
Dimensions

5.61 x 0.84 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0312422814
ISBN-13

978-0312422813
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Brilliant, far-reaching, passionate. . .sweeping and marvelously detailed. . .finely, intimately, movingly drawn. . . a book for the ages.” ―The New York Times

“[Elon] is a master of the telling anecdote. . ..One should be grateful for what Elon has done.” ―Los Angeles Times

“A work packed with beautifully sketched portraits, and constructed with a practiced eye for memorable, well-executed anecdotes.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“Impressive. . .Could hardly be improved upon.” ―The New York Review of Books

“If there is one book Americans should read this winter, it is Amos Elon's The Pity of It All--a meticulous and wrenching history of a people in a place at a moment in time that bears urgently upon our own.” ―Joan Didion, author of Political Fictions

About the Author

Amos Elon is the author of eight widely praised books including Founder: A Portrait of the First Rothschild, and the New York Times bestseller Israelis: Founders and Sons. He was a frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine and The New York Review of Books. He passed away in 2009.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Picador; First edition (December 1, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312422814
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312422813
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.61 x 0.84 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #300,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #939 in Jewish History (Books)
- #957 in German History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
179 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		77%
4 star		17%
3 star		3%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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skibum

most important book i've read in years.

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2018

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Broad-gauged, multi-faceted, nuanced, coolly analytical chronicle of liberalizing developments in German society, economy, education, culture, and politics, from mid-18th century to the early Weimar years, that, on a two-steps forward, one-step back basis,, afforded Jews greatly increased opportunities to participate, excel, and, to a remarkable extent, lead, in many aspects of German society -- while never eradicating deep strata of antisemitism linked to increasingly belligerent and militaristic German nationalism. Resonant for Jews in all Western societies, the book probes German Jews' shifting and conflicting strategies for coping with the persistent contradictions between doors open to achieve, assimilate, and contribute, on the one hand, and tenacious hostile tribal hostility, on the other. A graphic reminder to all supporters of post WW II Western liberal democratic regimes, how today's challenges recycle recurrent past struggles, with outcomes good and bad, but never permanent. Compelling portraits of extraordinary figures such as Moses Mendelsohn, Felix Mendelsohn, Heinrich Heine, Walther Rathenau, Chaim Weizmann, and others similarly interesting and influential though less well-known. Concise and well-written for its genre, reads like a novel, unputdownable for me.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Sad History of Judaism in Germany

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020

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In this well-researched book, Amos Elon traces out the history of German Jews from Moses Mendelssohn’s arrival in Berlin in 1743 to the early years of Nazi rule in the 1930s. This book provides a treasure trove of information about the Jewish experience in Germany, but I was hoping Elon would focus on the contributions Jews made to German society, and to the larger global community. Instead, he focuses on the Jewish attempts to assimilate themselves to German culture, and as such writes extensively about various anti-Semitic regulations and different social and political efforts by Jews to gain the same rights as their fellow Germans, as well as their efforts to prove themselves true Germans.

Of course, almost every reader is aware from the very beginning how this story will end, which lends this book its tragic tone, as reflected in its very title. Despite my disappointment, I still learned a good deal about the Jewish experience in Germany, as well as more about Germany’s history and culture.

6 people found this helpful

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Ceebee

Excellent read

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2020

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This book covers a 200 year period in Germany during which the Jewish population sought to become fully accepted German citizens. The effort ebbs and flows, finally crashing down under Hitler. The book is very well written and an easy read. It is interesting and factual and does not get bogged down in minutia. I highly recommend this book.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

charlene at Dosido Bookshelf

Engaging and Compelling history with lessons for today

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2015

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There is a conversation stopper called "GODWIN'S LAW," which disqualifies any comment that draws a lesson or analogy from Hitler or the Nazi's. It is a shame, really, because we need to understand how civil society gave way to cruel totalitarianism and genocide, and how individuals and institutions failed to resist, or in all too rare cases, stood against it. The purpose of learning and thinking through our moral history is to prepare us for our own moral challenges, as individuals, as communities and as a nation. Amos Elon tells the story of "Jews in Germany, 1743-1933" an a well-woven narrative that you won't want to put down.

9 people found this helpful

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Elena Bohannan

eye opening

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2014

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I would have liked to learn world history in World History class; but instead we memorized dates of battles, and names of generals and politicians. If, as students in public schools, we hadn't had to spend all of our time on rote memorization of non-worthwhile factoids, we might have been able to read books by actual historians who had researched the past. Imagine, there were women and men who weren't in the ruling classes, who did stuff and had stuff happen to them that actually profoundly influenced how our current societies were formed. I really appreciate the research that went into this book, and am glad that I came across it. The writing itself is clear, and flows, so the reading itself is aesthetically pleasing.

17 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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schnitz

Untold History

Reviewed in Canada on April 2, 2020

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Too many of us who thought they knew of the progression of Nazism will be educated as to how the brutal world of the Nazis evolved. Their rise to power with extreme anti-semitism is not surprising given the history of Jews in Germany. All well explained..

Michael Mindel

Wonderful book

Reviewed in Canada on October 31, 2009

Verified Purchase

Elon really brings this epoch of life in Germany alive. I always knew how assimilated the German Jews were before the Holocaust but I didn't really have a good understanding of it all. In many ways, Elon`s book made the Holocaust seem more tragic to me. The similarities to present Jewish life in North America are not lost on anyone who reads this book.

Very worthwhile reading. I enjoyed it a lot.

Michael Mindel - Montréal, Canada

One person found this helpful

Jaidev Shah

Bad packing. Poor quality

Reviewed in India on July 25, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is how I received a 1400 rs book.

raquel peisekovicius

The Pity of it all

Reviewed in Mexico on October 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

Me ayudó a entender la situación de Alemania entre las dos guerras mundiales y el comportamiento hacia los judíos que vivieron en ella. Me quedé con la impresión de que la cultura da conocimiento pero no siempre hace del hombre una mejor persona.

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Nicole Allio

Excellent book on the relations of German Jews and non-Jews before WWII

Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

Excellent book about the life of German Jews prior to the WWII. Explains the hidden hatred of Germans for their Jewish co-citizens.

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