I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in gaining an insight into the history, practices and literature of the Jewish people.

The book is broken down into 4 parts. In Part 1, Rabbis Goldberg and Rayner explain each phase in Jewish history from Abraham to the holocaust. With regards to their analysis of the biblical period, I was very impressed at their genuine concern with true history rather than just relying on scripture to provide the details. When dealing with each period, they refrained from giving painstaking details and rather delivered a good overview. Those wishing to satisfy their curiosity for details are able to consult the bibliography for further reading.

In Part 2, the Jewish literature for each period is reviewed including the origin of the Torah and an overview of Rabbinic literature such as the Talmud and beyond.

Parts 3 and 4 deal with the theory of Judaism and Jewish practices. These are excellent for those who are being introduced to Judaism for the very first time, or for those who could do with some revision or brushing up on some of the important rituals, laws and festivals.

Overall, I must say this book is informative and a pleasure to read and remains an excellent reference book.

David Goldberg's "Discontented America: The United States in the 1920s" for "The American Moment" series is a hybrid: part-college textbook and part-historical interpretation. While Goldberg's book presents his readers with an introduction of the discontented during the 1920s, because of its specialization, it also serves as an original historical inquiry.

Goldberg emphasis is to illustrate the disillusionment that was a direct result of the war. According to Goldberg, the discontent of the twenties was largely due to the early ending of World War I. Goldberg coverage includes: post-war foreign policy, decline of labor, red scare, African Americans, rise of second KKK, anti-immigration policies and the presidential election of 1928. While these areas of discontentment were largely a direct result of the war, there were other areas not addressed in his book.

Goldberg offers a selective picture, but it is not the entire picture. Areas not covered include: (1) the plight of the American farmer, (2) rural and small town discontentment against the larger more industrial cities, (3) conflict between modernist/liberals verse the conservatives/fundamentalist movements, (4) discontent between the generations and the emergence of a youth culture, (5) coverage of sentiment shared by many Americans of the enormous loss of life resulting from the war and the influenza outbreak and its influences on the brief return in the Spiritualist movements and finally, (6) returning veterans with their disillusionment towards the war, government in general, foreign policy and their eventual support of the isolationist movements in the thirties and early forties. Topics absolutely vital for understanding America's post WWI disillusionments.

This book deserves 5 stars for bias and no stars for truth. It not only distorts the facts, it is a downright littany of unfair misrepresenations. For example, when the author quotes and then proceeds to legitimize Benito Mussolini's (of all balanced world leaders!) calling Vladimir Jabotinsky a "fascist," something must be inverted in his thinking. Jabotinisky was a talented journalist and deep thinker. The author, in a frighteningly messianic tone, describes Ben-Gurion, who, in truth, was a career politician, who ruthlessly erradicated his opponents to satisfy his insatiable hunger to become Israel's first Prime Minsiter. In addition to the many misspellings of foreign names and a haunting sense of unchecked facts, this book was a disappointment, to say the least.

Jabotinsky was a writer of deep thought and conviction. He saw, almost alone, that the Palestinians would not just "fold their tents and steal away into the night." His strategy of "the Iron Wall" is the one followed by zionist movement and the state of israel ever since the 1930's. He *was* however also an avowed admirer of fascism.

Goldberg may idealize Ben-Gurion-he discusses his personal relationship with the late Prime Minister in his introductory comments. But this is a solid intellectual history of zionism in all its aspects up to 1948.
It's concluding paragraph reads like a preamble to "post-zionism." I recommend this book along with Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi's ORIGINAL SINS.