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These accessibly written volumes examine the major periods of Jewish history around the world, from their distant origins in antiquity through the beginnings of the modern period and the emergence of secular culture, and further to the eighteenth century to the present day.

The first volume of a comprehensive history of the Jews draws on up to date research to recount the story of the Jews from their distant origins in antiquity through the beginnings of the modern period and the emergence of secular culture. Enhanced by images, limelight given to various historical mysteries, recommendations for how to learn more, as well other features, the book moves chapter by chapter through the major periods of Jewish history, balancing introductions for those unfamiliar with that history, with discussion of new approaches and recent discoveries that have reshaped understanding of the Jewish past.

The second volume of a comprehensive history of the Jews includes topics such as the impact on Jewish society of the Enlightenment as well as its Jewish equivalent, the Haskalah, religious innovations in eastern and central Europe, the processes of emancipation and Jewish acculturation, the modern economic history of the Jewish people, which includes their embourgeoisement in central and western Europe, and the growth of a giant Jewish proletariat in eastern Europe, the emergence of an antisemitic politics that sought to roll back Jewish gains and the variety of Jewish responses to those illiberal forces, especially in the form of vibrant Jewish political cultures, among them Zionism, socialism, and mass migration.

The book is useful not just for those interested in the Jews themselves but also for readers open to learning about global history from the vantage point of a people whose experiences attest both to the resilience of human culture and the impact of hate and violence.