On the Eve – The Jews of Europe Before the Second World War by Bernard Wasserstein

On the Eve: The Jews of Europe Before the Second World War by acclaimed historian Bernard Wasserstein is a substantial and deeply researched examination of European Jewish life immediately before the catastrophe of the Holocaust. Rather than concentrating primarily on Nazi persecution and the events of the Second World War, Wasserstein turns his attention to Jewish communities themselves, exploring their culture, politics, beliefs, social structures and everyday experiences during the turbulent years leading up to war.

Across Europe in the 1930s, Jewish communities represented an extraordinarily diverse world. Wasserstein examines this civilisation across a broad geographical landscape, including major centres such as Warsaw, Vienna, Amsterdam, Paris and Vilna. On the Eve encompasses people from many levels of society, from political and religious leaders to workers, writers, musicians, boxers, housewives, beggars and children. The result is a richly detailed portrait of a population facing profound social, demographic and political pressures before the full force of Nazi persecution descended upon Europe.

Drawing on extensive historical research, Wasserstein considers the hopes, anxieties, values, literature, music and political divisions of European Jewry during the final phase of a history stretching back approximately two thousand years. On the Eve provides valuable historical context for understanding both pre-war European Jewish civilisation and the enormous cultural and human loss that followed.

First published in Great Britain in 2012, this Profile Books paperback edition was published in 2013. An important work for readers and collectors interested in Jewish history, Holocaust studies, European social history, the interwar period and the events surrounding the Second World War.

Condition – Very Good 

Very good 2013 paperback with foxing present. A watermark is visible along the top of the pages from the half-title page through to the index. The book otherwise remains well preserved, with a secure binding and presents well overall.