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Rating: 
Summary: A great destroyer of the steriotype of the cowering Jew
Review: This book is a great introduction into an overlooked topic. Far too often, Jews and Gentiles alike are ignorant or choose to ignore the history of Jews as people willing to defend itself. Unfortunately, this book sparsely documented and is rather jingoistic. This is not an academic work, but one meant for mass consumption. Finally, certain subjects have inaccuracies. The section on the Khazars, for instance, is based on outdated research. The authors would have done well to read DM Dunlop's research. I hope that this book is reprinted so that more people can read it. I also hope that someone does more serious academic work on this forgotten subject.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting book
Review: Yes, it is interesting. But plenty of what is in it is dubious.
It starts out with the Exodus. With a huge army fleeing Egypt. There's no archaeological evidence for any of this, of course.
What it says about Biblical warfare is intriguing, but once again, I'd want to see independent confirmation of some of this before I fully accepted it.
Then comes Joshua's conquest of Canaan. That also has no archaeological evidence to back it up.
Finally, we get into an era where there's more and more evidence to back up what is being talked about. But by now, I think the main value of the book is to get the reader to ask a few questions that one might otherwise not have thought to ask. Here are eight examples:
1) Was there a Jewish revolt in 351 AD which led to the sacking of Tiberias?
2) Were there Samaritan rebellions against the Byzantines in 484 AD and 529 AD? Who led them?
3) Was there a Jewish and Samaritan riot against the Christians of Caesaria in 556 AD? Followed by a Jewish riot in Antioch in 608 AD?
4) Was Yemen a Jewish state in 525 AD, and if so, what wars did it get into?
5) Where can one find a more scholarly description of the final Zealot war, from 614 AD to 628 AD?
6) Who was Mahrab? Was he a powerful Jew who fought against the Muslims during Mohammed's lifetime? Did Mahrab really have a sister named Zainab who became one of Mohammed's wives but was executed for putting poison in his food?
7) Did Ethiopia have a Jewish Queen in 975 AD?
8) When did the Khazars convert to Judaism? The eighth century? The ninth?
Anyway, the book is fun to read. However, most of it is speculative at best.
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