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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not 'readable',
By
This review is from: Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England (Hardcover)
My argument is with the publishers and the reviewers rather than the author. Although this book is well-researched it is not, by any means 'readable' in the sense that it flows. More than 20% of the book is taken up with notes referenced in the main body of the text. Every one is numbered in the text, a constant distraction to the eye and few are worth following up immediately. This is all very good and commendable academic practice but it does not make the book 'readable'. It is a book for studying. Although the book divides the history into four broad sections, material and sources are cross-referenced over all four ("I will deal with this in chapter 6....") making the arguments difficult to follow without recourse to post-it notes, pencil marks in the margin or copious personal note-taking. In the end, this book is an academic volume aimed at those who have the time and skill to study it in depth and discuss it with others. It is not for the general reader, even one with a very high level of education.
26 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A one-sided picture,
By
This review is from: Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England (Hardcover)
Anthony Julius has drawn a misleadingly one-sided picture of the Jewish experience in England, at least in relation to recent history. It is at odds with the view of the Chief Rabbi, who said in an interview with the BBC in 2006 that "Jews in Britain have found this country one of the most tolerant places on the face of the earth." Nor is it consistent with the polls conducted by the Anti-Defamation League on attitudes to Jews in a number of European countries. In 2002 an EU report stated that the ADL found that "Compared to most of the other EU countries agreement with anti Semitic statements in the United Kingdom was clearly lower." Again, in 2009 the ADL reported that "Britain consistently registered the lowest levels of anti-Jewish sentiment."
Perhaps an explanation for Julius's writing such a one-sided account may be found in a couple of comments he makes in the Introduction. He writes in the context of anti-Semitism that "There are certain things that will always remain unsaid between Jews and non-Jews", which to my mind implies a prejudicial attitude to non-Jews. He also claims that "For Anglo-Jewry in general, [anti-Semitism] is the background noise against which we make our lives. Almost always barely audible, one must strain to detect it..." Julius has indeed strained very hard in his attempt to demonstrate that anti-Semitism is a significant feature of present-day life in England.
24 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review,
By Ben Akiva (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England (Hardcover)
English antisemitism is unique. It has given rise to no mass movements, as in Continental Europe, and has not prevented the establishment of a successful Jewish community in England. According to Anthony Julius, we must look carefully at English antisemitisms rather than regard there as being one type. In this penetrating analysis, he dissects the specific qualities of English antisemitism and how it has impacted on the perception and acceptance of Jews in England. The book commences with a history of the mediaeval period, culminating in the expulsion of the Jews in 1290. During this period the major motivating ideology was of Christian antisemitism. He demonstrates incisively in successive chapters how these tropes, or common themes, penetrated English literature and ideology even following the readmission of the Jews under Cromwell. The ability of basic antisemitism to disguise itself in different masks, in different periods, is demonstrated specifically by examples of the use of blood-libel imagery through journalism, plays, novels and polemics. Remarkably, Julius clearly demonstrates the persistence of this lethal libel to the present day, where it becomes fused to analyses of the Israel/Palestinian conflict. In the final section of the book the persistence of ancient prejudice is shown to be able to adapt itself in new and potentially dangerous ways in demonisation of Israel and its delegitimisation.
Anthony Julius's book is a nuanced, witty and clear history of this subject. Without being alarmist he shows just how important English antisemitism is, despite its apparent lack of success, and why the recent upsurge is important. This will become the standard work on the subject.
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