Perhaps the two Aristotelian emotions of the tragic are relevant, pity--and terror.
Some of the great cultural advances come through the blending of differences. Human tribalism notwithstanding, nature seems to have done this trick on the divide of Christians and Jews, starting in the period of the Enlightenement, and then at a floodtide in the post-Napoleonic era of the liberation. This book demonstrates such a flowering--and then its unreasonable destruction just at the point where Jews/Christians were set to escape from a terrible legacy. It is a story with many fascinating vignettes, starting with Moses Mendelssohn's early youth, and many vital characters, from Maimon, who appears from nowhere to expound on Kant, to Heine and his ambivalent poetics, to, of course, Marx, said to be the self-hating jew, but not so different from type in this strange and brief generation of 'conversions'. Whence this tragedy, whose collosal waste has deprived a civilization of its own fruits? As the finale approaches the answer seems to recede from the conventional issues of anti-semitism to the mysteries of radical evil.
But I think nature benign, and the future should ask for the original path once on its way to its splendid flowering and mutual enrichment.

Reading Amos Elon's fine history of the German Jewish population is somewhat like watching a horror movie in which you know who is going to meet a horrible end. Even with this knowledge, you hold out some hope, some expectation that everything will turn out alright in the end. Most of the book is filled with this hope, that Germans and Jews would get along and form a new and powerful society through their collective efforts. It is disturbing to know that such tangible dreams and ideas were to meet such a horrific end.

Elon begins his history in a very suitable place. In 1743, a young Jewish cripple limped into the Prussian capital of Berlin. The gate in which he entered was reserved for cattle and Jews. When questioned by the gatekeepers on his intent, the eleven year old Moses Mendelssohn replied that he sought to learn. This young boy would become one of the greatest philosophers and writers of the European enlightenment. The enlightenment brought down many walls that had held German Jews in virtual bondage. People like Mendelssohn could contribute and were welcomed by the more learned elements of German society. It became clear to many in the Jewish community that the only way out of their situation was to become educated, assimilate into German culture and in many cases to convert to Christianity. All these themes are examined in detail, as are the contributions to German society that Jews made. The contribution that Jews made to the European revolutions of the mid 19th century are fascinating. It becomes apparent that Germany would not have been the European powerhouse it became in the late 19th century had it been for the artistic, monetary, educational and technological benefits the Jews gave greater Germany. There were many years of peace between Jews and Christians, and even leading up to World War I there was an almost euphoric hope of eventual German-Jewish synthesis.

Of course, however, the plague that was and is European anti-Semitism stayed alive. Many would never really accept real Jews, they could barely tolerate converts or the many non-observant German Jews. Archaic restrictions remained, keeping Jews from reaching high levels in government or the military. While many Jews succeeded in business, they were taxed disproportionately and were not allowed to attend many famous colleges. There were anti-Semitic riots and the hate newspapers remained alive. It is odd to point out though, as Elon does, that German anti-Semitism was not much worse than other countries. It is very hard to explain the eventual outcome. There are no easy answers, but the combination of economic disaster and the supposed connection seen by many between the Jews and bad business was a definite factor. It is just a sad and tragic book, to read about such hope and prosperity ending in such almost inevitable disaster. That outcome does not make it historically irrelevant however, as Elon does not fall into the trap of basing all of German Jewish history on the eventual Holocaust. That is a credit to him and his fine work.

A must for Jewish and European History enthusiasts.

On p. 148, German poet Heinrich Heine is dying and on his deathbed, apparently still wracked with doubt about his conversion and his lack of faith. But he figures as he goes to the beyond, it won't be that bad. "God will forgive me," he says. "That's His Job." After that great line I was more than a little annoyed to find Heine back alive in the next 50-100 pages, you kind of felt like you weren't moving forward, like you were stuck in some sort of mud. But nevermind, once this Amos Elon gets back on track, this is the kind of non ficiton history that gives you goosebumps it is so good and so important. Finally you get to the pre Nazi period and suddenly things you never put together before all come clear. Of course us Russian and Polish Jews- even those of us who are reform, have never been enamored of the Ger. Jews, and its clear there is little to like about them, at least the wealthy ones that are the subject of this book. Nobody would say they got what they deserved, but Elon comes close to pointing out how their devotion to the German fatherland over their devotion to basic principles of Judaism sparked the nationalist counter-reaction that led to the rise of Hitler. Nothing they teach in Sunday school was the point I was about to make. Of the son of one German-jewish leader it was said, "The most Jewish thing he ever did was convert." This is a great great and important book. No one, especially Jews obviously, should not have read this and soon.

I'm surprised that this book is considered out of print as I just bought it in a bookshop at Gatwick Airport on my way back from my first trip to Israel. I strongly recommend seeing Jerusalem before reading this, as then you will have a picture of the city in your mind before hearing the inside story on some of the landmarks. This book is better than a guide even though it does demand a little prior knowledge of the city and the Bible. Congratulations to Mr. Elon on his religous neutrality. I'd be glad to chat to anyone out there about this great country: pfinn50379@aol.com

I just visited Jerusalem in March 2000. After I returned I read this book. Oh, do I wish I had read the book before I left or had the book to read in Jerusalem. We had a guide at $200 a day and he was not as good as this book. It is excellent to understand the present situation in the city. It gives great background on all the churches, etc that you view. It is a great historical guide, providing wonderful quotes from people who were visiting in 333 CE or 1800's or in the last few years. A must read if you plan on going to Jerusalem or obtaining a better understanding of the present political circumstances of the city.

Heard the taped version of FOUNDER: A PORTRAIT OF THE
FIRST ROTHSCHILD AND HIS TIME by Amos Elon . . . Meyer
Amschel Rotschild (1744-1812), the patriarch of the clan,
fathered five illustrious sons who made the family name a
byword for banking, fabulous wealth and Jewish philanthropy . . .yet prior to this book, I had known nothing about the dynasty's founding father . . . Jews had been severely restricted in most areas of their lives in the ghetto of Frankfurt . . .how one man was able to get beyond that impediment and succeed made for an interesting history lesson . . . I also enjoyed getting a sense
of how it was to live in the eighteenth-century.

Model biography about the life of the founder of the Rotschild dynasty.
Out of the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt Meyer Rotschild became Court_factor (business manager) of the richest man in the world in late 18th/early 19th century: the landgrave of Hessen.
The starting point of his fortune were gold coin transactions with the landgrave.
After establishing his financial house in Frankfurt, he sent his sons to France and England, where his son Nathan made a fortune during the continental blockade decreed by Napoleon; he succeeded in continuing to trade illegally in English goods with a margin of 50 per cent.
Excellent picture of the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt and of the social position of the Jews at the beginning of the 19th century. This book throws also a bleak light on the social condition of the poor, where soldiers were ruthlessly pressed into service and afterwards sold (a common business practice!) and where children were summarily hanged for stealing a loaf of bread.
A model biography: all mentioned facts are based on legal and other documents.
This book gives short shrift to all myths surrounding the origin of the Rotschild fortune.

Mr. Elon writes a rich, enlightening, and engrossing portrait of a pivotal figure in European history. The context of 17th-18th century Frankfurt and Europe adds dimension that has to be read. A wonderful read and a wonderful gift. Bravo!

Elon is gifted writer with an even-handed perspective. His analysis of history, and the people who make it, is rich and personalized. Littered throughout his reports are nuggets of little known facts which greatly enhance the reading experience. His detail of observation and grip on the facts make you trust him. Its a reflection of the author's long association + first-hand experience with the issues, and wisdom. The book variously reads like a report, biography, travelogue, and history. The one I enjoyed most was the piece on Alexandria - made wish I could see the place.

You know how it is when you read editorials of respected newspapers/magazines - hoping to get a wise and real perspective on issues - this book is a bit like that.

The introduction alone provides a good starting point for anyone who wants to gain insight into the hundred year old Arab Israeli conflict. Amongst other things, Elon describes the experience of reserve duty in the six-day war, Israels political paralysis in dealing with the West Bank, Gaza and the Palestinians, and economic crisis under the Begin government. The most astounding essays in the book include those on trips to Egypt and Jordan on the verge of the 1978 and 1994 peace treaties. He describes how ordinary Egyptians welcomed him in an extraordinary Cairo bus scene, with cries of "Israel good" and "Peace Good". Later chapters deal with Israels coalition governments, which themselves were a major obstacle to reaching peace, most notably with Yitzhak Shamir's veto of Peres' "Jordanian Option". This book is very "left", but doesnt stink of agenda the way the work of the "New Historians" does. Every non-radical left-wing Israeli ideologist should read it.

A blood-dimmed time is a fine and worthwhile book. Amos Elon is an intellectual in the midst of the war zone. Though his book ends before this current war, he is always lucid, always eloquent and full of insights from Jerusalem.

From start to finish the book is a huge disappointment. For a region like Prussia, that was changing it's borders at least twice in a century the author is providing only one map from 1939, and even that is full of mistakes - rivers that don't exist, Kulm in East Prussia instead of in Poland, major cities misnamed. For the very unique and controversial subject of the prussian history the author chose the long discarded even by German historians, 19th century 'Borussian Myth' - drawing a straight line from the Teutonic Knights' rulership, through the Hohenzollern rule to the unification of Germany. All the elements of Polish history of the land are carefully omitted. Author interviews members of German nobility, aristocracy and German historians. When it comes to the Polish side he talks to car dealers, street drunks and other incompetent sources to show polish ignorance and lack of deep insight. Entire two chapters are devoted to an interview with a Jewish concentration camp survivor and an anti-Polish fanatic. This part is completely irrelevant to the subject of the book (Prussia), it just allows to show Poles in the worst possible light and portray them as primitive, blood thirsty, genetically anti-semitic beasts, responsible for entire Jewish holocaust in WW2. 'Germans were killing Jews only when they were ordered to, but Poles killed Jews whenever they had an opportunity, just for plain joy and pleasure, to satisfy their animal instincts' - that's basically the message contained in the book. There is no mention in the book about the 300 year history of Royal Prussia - a Polish province from 1454. The consistently pro-Polish loyalty of the people inhabiting the Prussian Provinces, even through the difficult war times, never appears in the book. The 15, 16 and 17th century symbol of Prussia - the Prussian Liberty and Privileges, provided by the King of Poland, and brutally liquidated during the Partitions of Poland - all of it was not worth discussion in a book supposedly devoted to 'travels through history of Prussia'. This might be a great book for a nostalgic Germans of East Prussian descent, but never to somebody, who would like to learn something about a twisted, complex and controversial history of Prussia. However, the exceptional writing skills and author's ability to capture reader's emotions will make this book very hard to put down.

I agree that many of the passages in this book are extremely romantic when it comes to describing Prussian history, but in my opinion the writing itself is great.

And although Roy may be slanted in his opinions when discussing Eastern European politics and history, or when describing the Wehrmacht or Teutonic Knights, he tempers this romanticism with tales of Polish Jewry and the atrocities committed against them in East Prussia and its environs.

I feel the biggest fault of the author's thinking (not the book), is the strong feeling of class that he demonstrates. It seemed to me that if a person wasn't a member of the Prussian aristocracy or a descendant, then they counted less.

Despite these points I thought the book was extremely well written and very interesting. When considering accuracy, though, the reader must read with an open mind and look at where the author is coming from.

As for inaccuracies with titles, such as The Great Elector being called "King Of Prussia" instead of "King In Prussia", there is a whole passage devoted to the explanation of both titles, as well as a geneological chart, so I don't know what the last reviewer was referring to.

If you are a descendant of people from that part of Europe, (as I am) this book will be a fascinating read. Just read it with an open mind.

I just wanted to personally thank James Roy for writing such a totally compelling account of Prussian history, with the inclusion of personal stories of the human tragedies endured as Prussia ceased to exist after 1945. My mother and grandparents were among those expelled by Russia and Poland. Asside from their personal accounts of these events, this is one of the only English publications I've seen which discusses the human drama in the German east at the end of the war (asside from some occasional token mention in a History Channel documentary).

Yes, parts of the history are portrayed as "romantic", esp. the Teutonic Knights, the landed aristocracy (Junkers), Frederick the Great et.al. , but so what ---- show me a history that doesn't describe the war mongering Napoleon in a similar light. The book is well tempered with the author's experience traveling through now Polish and Russian Prussia, describing the decay and ignorance of the local population with respect to relevance of historic sights (the use of the Hindenburg family cemetary as a garbage dump, with the former estate a collective farm is a case-in-point --> the locals claimed never to have heard of Hindenburg -----> the leveling of historic Koenigsberg and removal of 800 years of German history from East Prussia - including bulldozing cemetaries - is another). Both proud and disgracful history (witness Stutthof concentration camp) - its all here both inspiring and painful. And someone finally wrote it. Should be required reading in any Modern European history course - and would make a wonderful History Channel documentary.

Although this book is biographical based on documentation, it reads like a novel. I always thought the seeds for WW II were sown after WW I but you can find them in this book at the end of the 19th century. Herzl is a very interesting character and Amos Elon brings him to life.

This is a fascinating account of how and why Zionism led to the creation of Israel. Elon captures well how Israel's pioneer generation differ in their values from the Israeli-born youth. He explains how the myths of Zionism contributed to the tragic situation today. You'll learn how Israelis have been shaped by 50 years of conflict. You'll receive a lot of insight into the Israeli character.

I only wish a more up-to-date edition were available as some aspects of Israeli politics seem to have changed (e.g. the preference for non-military leaders, the rise of Bibi & Sharon). I also wish a book that directly compared & contrasted Israeli and Palestinian views of history were available, but I haven't found one yet.