The volumes that addressed themselves to the totality of the Jewish experience were, and still are, primarily religious or social in their interpretation. The impact of secular forces upon the Jews has been largely ignored. My aim, therefore, in undertaking a one-volume survey of Jewish history was, at least temporarily, to bridge this gap: to set down, first of all, in as lucid a fashion as possible, the salient events, ideas, and influences that have shaped the destiny of the Jews and their role on the world scene; and, secondly, to pay what I considered proper attention to economic, political, and diplomatic factors, as well as to the purely social and religious. In the subsequent editions of the book, I have continued, as far as possible, to stress this diversified interaction between Jewish and non-Jewish life. - Preface.
