If you are interested in more than a basic introduction to centuries of Jewish history all over the world and in the Land of Israel, this 'Historical Atlas of the Jewish People is the best recommendation. With contributions of noteworthy experts in Jewish history and the Middle East, such as Saul Friedländer, Raphael Vago, Pierre Vidal-Naquet or Yeshaiahu Leibowitz and Bernard Lewis, it covers extensively a range of historical aspects in a concise, comprehensive way.
You don't have to be an expert in Jewish history to understand many of the aspects featured, but a historical background might be useful though.
The chronological overview is completed by historical portraits of specific episodes or event. Therefore, it both combines the evenemential history and the focus on specific trends in the history of mentalities. Achieving brevity when it comes to complicated histories is both a success but may have its inerent limitations, as it simply has to leave behind details not considered relevant for the economy of the text. Maps and pictures of various artifacts are adding more visual impact to the historical information and helps to contextualise.
I personally felt that there are many information missing from the histories of various Jewish communities around the world, while other communities were completely omitted. A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People is not a book to read in a sitting and once. It is a reference that one can use regularly for aspects related to Jewish history. For historians in general, it offers a model of approaching centuries-long in a easy reading way while maintaining the essential academic chore.
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