Book Review: The Story of the Jews
However he heard about the riot, Jason, sitting in Hyrcannus' big-cat palace across the Jordan, knew this was a precious political opportunity.The Story of the Jews spans the millennia and the continents - from India to Andalusia and from the bazaars of Cairo to the streets of Oxford. It takes you to unimagined places: to a Jewish kingdom in the mountains of southern Arabia; a Syrian synagogue glowing with radiant wall paintings; the palm groves of the Jewish dead in the Roman catacombs. And its voices ring loud and clear, from the severities and ecstasies of the Bible writers to the love poems of wine bibbers in a garden in Muslim Spain. Within these pages, the Talmud burns in the streets of Paris, massed gibbets hang over the streets of medieval London, a Majorcan illuminator redraws the world; candles are lit, chants are sung, mules are packed, ships loaded with spice and gems founder at sea. And a great story unfolds. Not - as often imagined - of a culture apart, but of a Jewish world immersed in and imprinted by the peoples among whom they have dwelled, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, from the Arabs to the Christians. Which makes the story of the Jews everyone's story, too.
With noteworthy images and smooth writing style the book draws its life not only from Historical Figures, but also normal lives who generally disappear in the shadows. Spanning across time and place, the books presents the success, the worries, the coexistence and the clash in history. The characters include worried parents, scribes, and temple officials to mention a few. This is a definite read if you are interested to move in time and dive into the subject.
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The Story of the Jews: A Definite read. I had received the review copy from Random House India. Thank you Random House India for giving me this opportunity. You can buy this book at amazon or at Flipkart in case you live in India.
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