false 358936 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg 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 ]]> 358936 17 455718 book 1987 A History Of The Jews (Perennial Library) total:143|5:42|4:64|3:32|2:5|1:0| 143 572 272 19 10764 3.89 1372 251 60375935 1336159 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.01 135 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 ]]> 1987 5 0 false Fri Jun 19 21:14:38 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 19 21:19:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 12804687 797169 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Thu Jan 17 19:34:55 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 17 19:35:29 -0800 2008 more...]]> 449396 39759 89450 0297793667 9780297793663 1 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89450.A_History_of_the_Jews 3.00 1 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 ]]> 1987 3 0 false Wed May 14 11:09:53 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 27 10:11:43 -0700 2007 Wed May 14 11:09:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 19718910 1066228 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Tue Apr 08 08:55:15 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 08 09:07:31 -0700 2008 more...]]> 77172030 2924452 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Sun Nov 08 21:26:48 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 21:27:32 -0800 2009 40236320 1572208 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Tue Dec 16 11:43:46 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 16 11:43:46 -0800 2008 57840606 2198500 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Sat May 30 06:06:15 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 06:06:39 -0700 2009 65144635 2561048 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon Jul 27 11:22:40 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 11:23:12 -0700 2009 46623423 854618 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 0 0 false Thu Apr 09 11:13:17 -0700 2009 Tue Feb 17 07:32:28 -0800 2009 Thu Apr 09 11:13:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5685280 347670 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 5 0 false Tue Sep 04 22:27:21 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 04 22:33:35 -0700 2007 The best book on human history I have ever read.
Shows the common history that all of our modern religions share and the struggle for power, deception and lunacy that is humanity in fighting for one religious view over others. No religion ...more...]]> 10588949 568369 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 5 0 false Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 17 16:51:33 -0800 2007 Fri Feb 01 07:47:09 -0800 2008 I would highly recommend it to anybody who loves history and would like to learn more about the correlation between biblical stor...more...]]> 25256834 1219581 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 4 0 false Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon Jun 23 17:39:26 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 23 17:39:26 -0700 2008
Johnson's history cleared that up! And she's right-- we are Jewish-ish.]]> 8612796 537621 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 0 0 false Sat Nov 03 10:57:40 -0700 2007 Sat Nov 03 11:06:19 -0700 2007 18397886 1011380 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 3 0 false Sat Mar 22 15:05:28 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 22 15:31:32 -0700 2008 248610 24992 216207 184212479X 9781842124796 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172782504m/216207.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172782504s/216207.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216207.A_History_of_the_Jews 3.75 4 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 ]]> 1987 5 0 false Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Mar 12 20:58:41 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 16:34:32 -0800 2009 3028165 186937 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 3 0 false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 13 09:14:32 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 17 00:30:11 -0800 2009 7660454 411786 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 5 0 false Sat Oct 13 07:19:58 -0700 2007 Sat Oct 13 07:20:38 -0700 2007 1188643 83818 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 0 0 false Sun May 13 11:46:04 -0700 2007 Sun May 13 11:47:23 -0700 2007 454591 40520 216207 184212479X 9781842124796 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172782504m/216207.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172782504s/216207.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216207.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 2 0 false Tue Mar 27 15:06:58 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 17:10:37 -0800 2009 81024590 3043943 358936 0060915331 9780060915339 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079m/358936.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223372079s/358936.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/358936.A_History_of_the_Jews 4.00 143 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 ]]> 1987 0 0 false Mon Dec 14 17:38:07 -0800 2009 Mon Dec 14 17:38:07 -0800 2009 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=358936