Sport and British Jewry Integration, ethnicity and anti-Semitism, 1890-1970

This is an important piece of social and cultural history and of interest to anyone interested in British identity, Jewish studies, sports studies and the role of ethnicity and racism in the modern world. The ground covered is impressive - it reflects both the world of immigrant and elite British Jewry and responses to the Jews from all layers of British society. The remarkable stories of Harold Abrahams and other Jewish sporting heroes are juxtaposed with ordinary experiences in the setting of a world of golf club and other prejudices. -- Professor Tony Kushner. David Dee's engaging Sport and British Jewry: Integration, ethnicity and anti-Semitism, 1890-1970 is the best and clearest account of one of the missing links in the history of British Jewry, the role that Jews, like other minorities, played in the history of sport. More than in any other nation Britain is the home of sport as a civilizing factor (from football to rugby to boxing to racing) and the importance of Jews in the sporting world from Victoria to Elizabeth II is explored in Dee's detailed and readable book. -- Sander L. Gilman. David Dee has written a remarkable book about a fascinating subject. For too long scholars and the public alike have simply dismissed the notion of 'Jews and sport in the UK' as an oxymoron. Dee shows, with depth and insight, how significant and complicated this phenomenon was, and his study brilliantly illuminates Anglo-Jewry in a refreshing light. -- Michael Berkowitz.