A Short History of the Jews - Paperback

by Michael Brenner (Author), Jeremiah Riemer (Translator)

A concise narrative history that brings the story of the Jewish people marvelously to life

This is a sweeping and powerful narrative history of the Jewish people from biblical times to today. Based on the latest scholarship and richly illustrated, it is the most authoritative and accessible chronicle of the Jewish experience available. Michael Brenner tells a dramatic story of change and migration deeply rooted in tradition, taking readers from the mythic wanderings of Moses to the unspeakable atrocities of the Holocaust; from the Babylonian exile to the founding of the modern state of Israel; and from the Sephardic communities under medieval Islam to the shtetls of eastern Europe and the Hasidic enclaves of modern-day Brooklyn. The book is full of fascinating personal stories of exodus and return, from that told about Abraham, who brought his newfound faith into Canaan, to that of Holocaust survivor Esther Barkai, who lived on a kibbutz established on a German estate seized from the Nazi Julius Streicher as she awaited resettlement in Israel. Describing the events and people that have shaped Jewish history, and highlighting the important contributions Jews have made to the arts, politics, religion, and science, A Short History of the Jews is a compelling blend of storytelling and scholarship that brings the Jewish past marvelously to life.

Back Jacket

"Drawing on the best recent scholarship and wearing his formidable learning lightly, Michael Brenner has produced a remarkable synoptic survey of Jewish history. His book must be considered a standard against which all such efforts to master and make sense of the Jewish past should be measured."--Stephen J. Whitfield, Brandeis University

"With his characteristically deft touch, Michael Brenner has produced a sweeping and riveting account of Jewish history from Biblical times until the present day. This slender volume is lively, engaging, and a pleasure to read."--John M. Efron, University of California, Berkeley

"Brenner is a proven author with a broad competence in Jewish history, which makes him one of the few Jewish historians able to handle a volume of such large scope. His book has a novel approach that sets it apart from other one-volume histories. It is intended as a first book in Jewish history for readers with little knowledge of the subject. The style is extraordinarily readable."--Michael A. Meyer, author of Judaism within Modernity

Author Biography

Michael Brenner is professor of Jewish history and culture at the University of Munich. His books include Zionism: A Brief History and After the Holocaust: Rebuilding Jewish Lives in Postwar Germany (Princeton).