The Shortest History of Antisemitism

By Simon Schama

Waiting for your print copy? Email us to receive a FREE digital copy Send your print-order receipt to enquiries@jewishquarterly.com to receive your free digital copy.From ancient times to the present, antisemitism has proved to be one of the most enduring and adaptable forms of hatred. Across centuries of world-changing ideas and upheavals - from the rise of Christianity and Islam to the Enlightenment, nationalism, globalism and great leaps of technology - the Jewish people have served as a dark mirror for society's fears, anxieties and hatreds. Why does this hostility persist?

In this crucial and unflinching history, acclaimed British historian Sir Simon Schama examines the forces that have enabled this old hatred to mutate and thrive, even within liberal democracies. With his characteristic clarity, erudition and curiosity, Schama looks at the antisemitic myths and imagery that recur throughout Jewish history, culminating in the latest outbreaks since the October 7 attacks and the war in Gaza.

Sir Simon Schama is a professor of art history and history at Columbia University. His award-winning books, translated into fifteen languages, include Rough Crossings, A History of Britain and The Story of the Jews. He is a cultural essayist for The New Yorker and has written and presented more than thirty documentaries.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 176064613X
• ISBN13: 9781760646134
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Jewish Quarterly
• Length: 96 Pages