This biography was acclaimed by The New York Times as "deeply interesting" and "an absorbing account" of the life of the man called "the brains of the Confederacy." 16 pages of illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Judah P. Benjamin, the Jewish Confederate:
Many consider Judah P. Benjamin "the Brains behind the Confederacy". The author, Eli N Evans also wanted to covey how the Jewish people interacted with their Southern neighbors. Charleston, SC was the first community in America to grant Jews the right to vote and to permit them to engage in any trade of their choosing. Judah P. Benjamin (1811-84) grew up in Charleston, attended Yale University for two years and was at the top of his class when he abrutly left. His leaving Yale under mysterious... more info
Book review:
I was forced to purchase this book for my History 1301 class and I don't regret it. It was a very interesting read and I couldn't put the book down. Amazon, as always thanks for you quick shipping and reliable service.
Judah Who?:
One of the previous reviews of this book begins with the statement that anyone familiar with the Civil War will know the name Judah Benjamin. Frankly, I doubt it. I'll wager that very few Northerners recognize the name. The eight reviews of this book are fascinating to read, and far shorter than the book itself. Note where the reviewers live; it's significant. Judah P. Benjamin had a fascinating "teflon" life - as a wealthy lawyer and a "macher" in very early Reformed Judaism, as a social climber in... more info
Difficult to Assess:
I cannot think of a single book that is more difficult to assess than "Judah P. Benjamin: The Jewish Confederate". On the one hand, it paints a vivid portrait of life in the antebellum South, as well as a grim chronicle of affairs in that region (political, military, and socioeconomic) during the Civil War. This is all a backdrop, however, to its intimate exploration into the life of one of the Confederacy's most complicated and fascinating subjects - Judah P. Benjamin, brilliant orator, United States... more info
