The First Ghetto

Reviews / Votes

Fascinating . . . an engrossing tale of cruel prejudice and resilience. The book is packed with detail, but, thanks to fluent writing, it never overwhelms -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times * In this fascinating history . . . Lee conjures the Adriatic seaport in all its strange glory . . . This admirable book offers a poignant testimony to a people who have approached annihilation many times -- Ian Thomson * The Spectator * Intricately described . . . Lee introduces us to some of the city's remarkable Jewish residents, [who] form the most vivid pages . . . This important and timely book should do much to breathe life back into [the Ghetto] -- Frances Wilson * The Telegraph * The most extensively researched study of its subject . . . Lee's survey is the more valuable for giving proper weight to the experience of Venetian Jewish survival . . . [a] splendid account, whose vitality, resourcefulness and variety of detail will make it hard to rival -- Jonathan Keates * The Literary Review * Remarkable . . . a rollercoaster history of the ghetto -- The Jewish Chronicle Brilliantly researched and deeply moving, this history of the Jews of Venice makes a significant and much needed contribution to the city's story -- Roger Crowley, author of <i>City of Fortune</i> Embattled and persistent, the Jewish community of Venice played a fascinatingly rich role in the city's cultural and economic life. In Alexander Lee, they have found their true and elegant historian -- Judith Mackrell, author of <i>The Unfinished Palazzo</i> Ghetto is the most accessible history of this renowned Venetian quarter. Alexander Lee combines expertise in Venetian history, with sensibility to the Jewish past, and a gift for story-telling. Highly recommended -- Professor Miri Rubin, author of <i>Cities of Strangers</i> Rich, absorbing, and so beautifully written -- Nadeem Aslam, Booker-longlisted author of <i>The Golden Legend</i>