Spectacular!, 18 Jan 2008
Six stars!
Give this book to a young person who has a budding interest in theater or who loves Disney theatricals. You'll help inspire a life-long love of theater when you do.
Two of my children are very devoted to the technical aspects of theater. Trips to Broadway brought much fascinated investigation of everything that could be seen. As much fun as those visits were for my youngsters, getting a copy of this book at age 14 would have been even better.
Pretty much every aspect of theater is covered from how to put on your own show at home to trying out for a musical on Broadway to being a young star. The brief, informative sections are supplemented by gorgeous illustrations from Disney theatricals and wonderful inserts.
I've never seen such inserts (a Lion King ticket envelope, a Lion King Playbill, pages of the script from Tarzan you can pull of a pocket to read, sketches and swatches from the Lion King's costume designs, fold-outs to show the effect of wigs on actors' appearances, a fold-out to show the stages of putting on Rafiki's makeup, two fold-out pages to show a center stage scene, a script from Tarzan with stage manager cues).
I find that the Disney theatrical productions to exceed the quality of their films. It's been a marvelous gift to the world that they have made this commitment to live theater. If you haven't seen these shows, read this book . . . and buy tickets for you and a youngster.
Thomas Schumacher loves his craft and knows how to talk about it simply without talking down to his audience. It's a great story!
Fascinating and jam packed synopsis, 05 Jun 2008
This amazing little book consists of a jam packed and fascinating synopsis of the history of the Jewish people, from the Bible's introduction of Abraham to the wars for survival of the State of Israel.
It is divided into two major 'Acts' which are themselves subdivided into Parts called 'adventures'.
The First Act covers the first two thousand years, from Abraham to the Fall of Masada.
Part II of the First Act covers the Jews oddysey into history as nomads; their entry into the Land of Canaan; their search for greener pastures and enslavement in Egypt until they are liberated by Moses and given the Torah by G-D at Mount Sinai, and the period of the Judges and the rule of the first Jewish King, Saul.It notes how although many things have changed, the covenant, the rite of circumcision, and the Land of Israel are still central in the Jewish faith. "If ever these concepts dissapear, then the Jews will dissapear with them. These perceptions have been the motivating forces in
Jewish history and continued to shape Jewish destiny".
It has a great map outlining the journeys of Moses and Abraham, and the boundaries of the Land of Israel.
It also outlines how the concept of equality before the law, first appeared in the Torah (the Jewish Bible).
There was one law for all. The punishment was the same for all offenders guilty of the same crime, for the first time in history.
Part II covers the great Kingdoms of David and Solomon, the dual kingdoms of Judah and Israel, the voices of the Prophets and the destruction of the two Kingdoms by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
This chapters outlines the three main achievements of King David, in addition to his millitary conquests and carving out of a miniature Jewish Empire: He so firmly established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel that it has been in the headlines of the world ever since; he so effectively anchored the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem that it became the holiest city in Judaism ever since, and he penned most of the immortal psalms that have become a literary heritage of mankind.
The prophets taught that G-D was for all mankind and that it was the message of the Jews to take the ethical and moral values of the Torah to the world.
Part III covers the exile in Babylon, the return to the Land of Israel (the Zionades) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the struggles against Greek and Roman domination and the life of Joshuah ben Yosef (Jesus), and his sect of Jews konwn as the Nazarenes.
Act II covers Jewish history from the destruction of the Second Temple and the third exile of the Jews to the restoration of the State of Israel in 1948, and it's trials and tribulations.
Parts I and II covers the writing of the Mishnah and Gemara (and their being combined into the Talmud), the great Rabbis such as Akiva ,Gamaliel II and Yehudah HaNasi, the Karaite Revolt, the Jewish exile in Europe and the great contributions of the Jews to Europe, and persecution and pogroms the Jews suffered there, the crusades, the inquisition and the Cossaks.
It speaks of how the concept of the welfare state was begun in Judaism, the concept of humane slaughter and the great contribution of the Jews to medicine, science and literature.
The Third Adventure is of the enlightenment, and the founding of the Reform and Conservative movements.
The Fourth adventure is of the Jews in Russia and the United States, and the Holocaust, while Part III covers Zionism, the return to the Land of Israel and the re-establishment of the Jewish state there, as well as the amazing valour of Israel against the massive Arab invasions, in several wars-the Jews were not prepared to submit to any more holocausts- German or Arab.
Outnumbered and outgunned the Jews defeated the Arab agressors in 1948, 1967 and 1973, but it was the first time in Israel a victorious defender was forced by the world to beg for peace with a defeated agressor. He also speaks of Israel's great achievments in building a modern educational and industrial state supporting five million people.
The book ends with the Israeli operations into Lebanon (where they were welcomed as liberators by the persecuted Christians of Lebanon) in response to PLO and Syrian terror from that country.
As the author eloquently points out : "Israel prays for peace. But as in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the people are rebuilding Israel with a trowel in one hand, and a sword in the other, ready for either peace or war".
This book is fascinating and jammed with interesting facts.
It is also an inspiring read, in these frightening and sombre days for Israel and the Jewish people.
Excellent overview of Jewish history for kids, 07 Dec 1998
In Max Dimont's view of Jewish history, "the saga of the Jewish people is a fantastic adventure story" (xiv) of survival against unbelievable odds. Every period of Jewish history presented a new challenge, whether persecution by a rival nation, assimilation into a foreign culture, or internal religious dissent. In every time-period, Judaism, and the Jewish people, faced the real possibility of ceasing to exist. But through courage, creativity, religious insight, and luck, the "saga" continues to the present day.
Because its scope is so large for such a short book, The Amazing Adventures of the Jewish People only touches upon each period of Jewish history briefly. In four or five pages, Dimont can cover hundreds of years. Nevertheless, by focusing on surprising facts and unusual situations, the book manages to present a very readable account. Because each of the thirty-six chapters is centered on a single issue or crisis in Jewish history, Dimont manages to simultaneously provide both a chronological and topical approach to the subject.
History is presented as the result of the specific decisions of historical figures, presented at their most heroic (and villainous), within the context of the great events of their time-periods. Characterizations are tempered with interesting biographical details that help to personalize the constant stream of names. Religious, political, and intellectual figures share the spotlight, leading to a clear sense that Judaism is more than a religion or nationality.
Written with so much clear enthusiasm, it is hard not to get caught up and to share Dimont's excitement. Dimont has a good sense of narrative and of detail, and knows how to balance between the two to tell an engaging story. Each chapter concludes by introducing the challenge that will be faced in the next, in the "tune-in-next-time" style of the old silent serials. Although the "gee-whiz" tone may be off-putting to some readers, most will find the book lives up to the title and is an exhilarating read.
