The First Ghetto

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
A stunning account of a dark history … magnificent – John Banville * The Irish 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, 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 City of Fortune
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 The Unfinished Palazzo
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 Cities of Strangers
Rich, absorbing, and so beautifully written – Nadeem Aslam, Booker-longlisted author of The Golden Legend

Alexander Lee is a research fellow at the University of Warwick. He is the author of several acclaimed books, most recently the critically acclaimed Machiavelli: His Life and Times. He writes a regular column for History Today, and has contributed articles on a wide variety of historical and cultural subjects to the Sunday Telegraph, the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, the New Statesman, the Times Literary Supplement, the Atlantic, and Dissent.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.