On the Nation and the Jewish People - Shlomo Sand, Ernest Renan

Praise for The Invention of the Jewish People

'A remarkable book ….. Anyone interested in understanding the contemporary Middle East should read this? Tony Judt

Perhaps books combining passion and erudition don't change political situations, but if they did, this one would count as a landmark?Eric Hobsbawm, Observer

'A formidable polemic. Max Hastings, Sunday Times

Shlomo Sand's historical tour de force The Invention of the Jewish People sparked a furious controversy across the world over his claim that the Jewish people are not a biologically defined race.

In this follow-up book Sand presents the writings of a major influence on his work, Ernest Renan, one of France's intellectual giants in the second half of the nineteenth century, and a seminal force in the study of nationalism. Sand demonstrates the continuing importance of Renan's work by placing it in the context of twentieth-century thinkers such as Raymond Aron and Ernest Gellner.

Alongside his essay, Sand presents two classic lectures by Renan: the first, the renowned What Is a Nation?', argues that the foundation of nationhood lies outside of race, religion, and language; the second examines the concept of the Jewish people.

On the Nation and the Jewish People is an important contribution to the understanding of nationalism, bringing back into play the work of a proloundly misunderstood thinker.

Verso Publishing 2010, paperback