Customer Reviews
Israel lives! - By: Pieter, 28 Mar 2007 
This popular history of the Jewish people succeeds in bringing the four thousand year saga alive for the general reader. The author observes that even though the furniture of the West may be Greek, the house of Western civilization is Jewish. One of the questions examined in this book is: How did the Jewish people survive the disappearance of every civilization in which they lived? The following six eras are discussed in the Preface: the Pagan World, Greco-Roman civilization, Diaspora, Islam, European Middle Ages & the Modern Age. Dimont accepts the psychoanalytic, philosophical & existentialist interpretation of history that holds that ideas motivate mankind & shape history.
Part One: The Portable God, explores the age of paganism, the origin of the Hebrews & of monotheism & the ancient kingdoms of Israel & Judah, until the coming of the Greeks & the clash of Greek & Hebrew culture. In Part Two: Age Of The Apikorsim, he looks at the survival of Jewish culture & religion under the Greeks, the Roman take-over of the land, the destruction of Jerusalem & the various Jewish revolts until the final banishment from the Holy Land.
Part 3: Moses, Christ & Caesar investigates the birth of Christianity as a Jewish sect, how the religions were separated during the aforementioned wars & revolts & the spread & ultimate triumph of Christianity in Europe. The next section, Invisible World Of The Talmud, explains how Judaism & Jewish identity were preserved in the diaspora by means of Talmudic learning.
In Part 5: Mohammed, Allah & Jehovah, the author covers the rise of Islam & the Arab expansion, the golden era of Jewish scholarship & the end of that period with the Mongol invasion of the Middle East & the Christian reconquest of Spain, whilst the following, The Prince And The Yellow Star, considers the Middle Ages, Crusades, Renaissance & Reformation. It also examines the role of the Jewish people in the feudal age & the origin of Kabalah.
Part 7: On The Horns Of Modern Isms, chronicles the emancipation from the ghetto to the enlightenment when Jews started occupying important positions & became intellectual leaders in Europe. This section looks at Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the United States, Nazism & finallly, Zionism & the birth of the State of Israel. In the last part: Cultural Mosaic, Dimont attempts an historical explanation of the incredible survival of this miracle nation.
In his view, the first 2000 years represent that third of the Torah & Talmud which concerns priesthood & sacrifice that preserved the Hebrews from paganism. The second 2000 years had to do with that third of the Torah & Talmud that preserved ethnic identity through ritual while spreading Biblical ideas of humanism. He speculates that the last one third now remains, that part that deals with universal concepts of The justice, morality & ethics.
There is an extensive bibliography divided into various sections & an index. Although here & there certain observations in the text have become a little outdated since publication, Jews, God & History remains a magisterial work & a gripping read inhabited by fascinating ideas, personalities, events & historical facts. The style is engaging & accessible throughout. I also recommend A History of the Jews by Paul Johnson & WorldPerfect: The Jewish Impact on Civilization by Ken Spiro.
Great Popular History read - By: Bc V. Price, 27 Mar 2007 Some reviewers have quibbled about this book glossing over detail & supplements being needed. I say nonsense to this, the book does not pretend to be anything else than a popular history of the Jewish people. As the advert says, "it does exactly what it says on the tin". If you want an academic study then you will not be reading this book. What do you expect in 571 pages. The book includes bibliography,and appendix anyway !
However, without a doubt, the late Max Dimont has a great gift as a popular communicator & the book is a highly enjoyable read, in fact I would say it is unusual to read a history book as a rapid 'page turner' which this book is.
For the non academic this book is excellent.
Readable and Informative - By: , 23 Aug 1998 Topicallly organized as well as chronological, this is a good introductory history. Like alll general audience works, it is bound to gloss over issues that are in debate & like, much modern Jewish history, the development of modern Israel & Zionism is sanitized. Still, this is probably one of the best popular works around & quite a pleasant read.
The best history on the survival of the Jewish race. - By: , 28 Jun 1998 Of alll the Jewish histories I have read, Jews, God & History best describes the survival of not only the Jewish race & religion, but the actual idea of being Jewish. To paraphrase Joseph Heller in God Knows -- If God chose to flood the world again, Jews would learn to breath under water. This is the idea behind Max Dimont's wonderful little history (although Mr. Heller wrote God Knows after Mr. Dimont's book -- but as they say, "great minds think alike"). Read, learn & enjoy this masterpiece of Jewish history.
This is an outstanding introduction to Jewish history! - By: , 12 Jun 1998 Max Dimont's talent is comparable to that of the late Will Durant. He manages to give an accurate sketch of Judaic history with enough flavour to make it "come alive" for the non-historian. As a Jew, I found that Dimont the scholar is factual & respectful of the subject matter while adding much-needed levity in key moments. Highly recommended, especiallly for the bibliography.
