This is a good book in the sense that it covers the scope of the world history of the Jews. It is fairly evenhanded and fair, with due amazement at the survival of the Jews as a distinct people. His discussion of Pharisees and Sadducees and Essenes is very different than my understanding and clouded by an indecipherable or at least confusing use of "liberal" and "conservative."
Naturally his view of Jesus is different than mine and seems fair on the surface but to me is really too conveniently dismissive of every really crucial fact and too accepting of the usual "great teacher preaching peace" etc.
The sections on the Talmud were very good. Most interesting were the sections on the flourishing of Jews during the Mohammedan reign in the middle ages. He is very graphic in describing the middle ages as feudalism which enslaved everyone, nobles and serfs alike, except the Jews, who were the early middle class.
His section on antisemitism is balanced; his comments on Arab-Jewish relations seem remarkably naive.
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