Reviews: The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History, William D. Rubinstein (ed.)

<plain_text><page sequence="1">Reviews The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History , William D. Rubinstein, ed., Michael A. Jolies and Hilary L. Rubinstein, assistant eds. (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 201 1), ISBN 978-1-4039-3910-4, pp. 1061, £125. The format of this Dictionary is unusual. Most of the entries are short biog- raphies of contributors to the history or historiography of the Jews in Britain in the Modern period, ranging from Tudor times until the present day. Unlike the Dictionary of National Biography, these include living people as well as those deceased. The range of these biographies is remark- ably wide. In addition to biographies there are short entries about Jewish communities in specific towns and regions as well as one on Demography and one on Occupations. The main communal organizations, such as the Jews' Free School, the Board of Deputies, the Board of Guardians and the Jews Temporary Shelter, are described. A longer entry gives a history of "The Emancipation of Anglo-Jewry". Although more than one thousand pages long, the volume is compact and the type is easy to read. This is a reference book of the first importance. It is a thoroughly researched, clearly written account and an essential tool for any serious study of Anglo-Jewish history. Edgar Samuel 238</page></plain_text>