A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad
An indisputably serious problem with global ramifications deserves an equally serious and comprehensive treatment. Modern Jewish historian Wistrich has provided just that in his masterful dissection of the origins, the dissemination, and the consequences of anti-Semitism in all of its most blatant and most subtle manifestations. Though the size and the scope of this treatise may be initially daunting, intrepid readers will be rewarded by the clarity of the scholarly presentation. Arguing that anti-Semitism in our post–World War II world has returned with a vengeance and is, perhaps, more widespread and virulent than ever, he traces the ever-broadening roots of what he considers the “oldest and darkest of ideological obsessions.” No matter what political or ideological slants readers might bring to the table, this is a significant, wide-ranging discourse on the topic of anti-Semitism that cannot and should not be ignored. Wistrich has painstakingly done his homework and laid out his analysis, providing plenty of food for thought and discussion. --Margaret Flanagan