Synopses & Reviews
"The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is among the most infamous documents of antisemitism. A forgery created in Russia by the czarist secret police and quickly translated into a host of languages, it portrayed Judaism as a worldwide conspiracy dedicated to the destruction of Christian civilization. The appearance of the Protocols sparked a number of bloody pogroms and it helped shape the thinking of right-wing movements worldwide from Hitler's Nazis to contemporary antisemitic groups in Russia, the Middle East and the United States. A work of intellectual history,
A Rumor About the Jews expresses the connection between antisemitism and the overarching political assault upon the enlightenment legacy taking the reader on a historical journey that provides a new and penetrating understanding of an insidious ideology and its broader implications.
Review
"...helpful both in its linking the Protocols to previous anti-semitic diatribes and by interpreting why they became so popular."
-The Historian
Synopsis
A look at the sensationalistic, antisemitic tract, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," its history, and its impact on the character of modern antisemitism.
About the Author
Stephen Eric Bronner is professor of political science and comparative literature at Rutgers University. He is the author of several books including
Moments of Decision: Political History and the Crises of Radicalism (winner of the Michael A. Harrington Prize). He lives in New York City.
Table of Contents
Introduction * Antisemitism for Popular Consumption: Extracts from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion * The Text in Context: The Protocols and the Varieties of Antisemitism * The Tale of a Forgery: Inventing the Protocols * Spreading the News: The Protocols Triumphant * The Legacy of the Lie: The Protocols and the Future of Antisemitism
Introduction * Antisemitism for Popular Consumption: Extracts from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion * The Text in Context: The Protocols and the Varieties of Antisemitism * The Tale of a Forgery: Inventing the Protocols * Spreading the News: The Protocols Triumphant * The Legacy of the Lie: The Protocols and the Future of Antisemitism