Maimonides

by Ilil Arbel and Irbil Arbel

Book Overview

Presents a biography of the influential rabbi, philosopher, and Talmudic scholar. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824523598
• ISBN13: 9780824523596
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Crossroad Publishing
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An excellent, well written biography.

Ilil Arbel's biography of Maimonides is a long overdue, rare treat for those who are familiar with the extraordinary accomplishments of the great Jewish philosopher. Arbel does well in reconstructing the life story of Maimonides and his family through the early persecution in Spain and Morocco and the later years in Egypt, where his recognition as a great scholar and respected leader in the Jewish community began. It is a well written biography with excellent attention to the historical and cultural context of the period. The book is far from a dry recounting of his life and surrounding historical events,this is an enthusiastic and passionately written biography with astute observations by the author throughout. Arbel transforms a challenging writing endeavor into a interesting, informative read that both Maimonides enthusiasts and those who want to learn more about this extraordinary scholar can enjoy.

ESSENTIAL REFERENCE TOOL

The kind of book only alert minds and lovers of history and culture will read. Rich in style, knowledge and historical information. No doubt, this is one of the best books written about Maimonides! Outstanding!!!

An excellent biography

I am twelve years old, and I got this book for my bat-mitzva. I loved it and learned a lot and I would recommend it to both adults and children. I particularly liked the way Maimonides helped women during those hard times.

Intelligent, well-researched biography

As a librarian, I was alerted to this excellent biography by Booklist and by The Library Journal, which both gave it excellent reviews. I don't read every book I order, but since I am particularly interseted in Maimonides, I did read it, and with great pleasure. I have studied much of Maimonides' work, and many books that analyzed his work, but Arbel's book is the only one fulfilling the need for a lively biography that really tells about Maimonides, his character and his relationships.The book is extremely well-written, easy to understand, and will be entirely comprehesible to the secular reader. You don't have to be a Maimonides expert, a philosophy student, or a religious scholar to enjoy it. Yet any scholar will appreciate Arbel's historical research and grasp of the era he discusses.My only criticism was that I wished the book were longer and continued into the second generation (Maimonides' son, Abraham, was a fascinating character). However, I realized that the book is a part of a series of biographies, the well-received Lives and Legacies (all called "A Spiritual Biography") from Crossroad Publishing, so Arbel probably followed certain guidelines as to length. I am very much looking forward to the publication of Arbel's biography of Rabbi Hillel, which apparently he is writing now.

A marvelous, thrilling read

In this exciting, vibrant biography, the author succeeds where all others failed -- she brings Maimonides and his contemporaries to life. A few other books, all of them at least thirty years old, claim to be his biographies, but they are really only discussions of his work, with a few biographical details merely tacked on. Arbel's book, on the other hand, is truly the story of the life of a most interesting man, set against the vast panorama of a turbulent era. The intriguing details, taken from rarely used historical materials, help the reader visualize the scandals, controversies, court intrigues, and wars, as well as the daily lives, fashions, food, entertainment, and houses of people in Spain, Morocco, Israel, and Egypt of the twelfth century.Arbel obviously likes and admires Maimonides, but she does not worship him, and is not averse to showing his human, less than perfect side. She may run into trouble with the more orthodox rabbis, perhaps, but for the general reader it is a wonderful approach, and you end the book feeling that you have spent some time with a human being, not the demigod that is presented by other authors. I truly enjoyed the book.