Reviews for Shepherd of Jerusalem: A Biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook

The average rating for Shepherd of Jerusalem: A Biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-10-17 00:00:00 John Lopez This biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Chief Rabbi of Palestine,seemed to be written for grade or high school level. That said, it really was a fascinating story about a man who was a child genius, highly respected Talmud scholar but who also loved every Jew and fought against many contemporaries of his who wanted nothing to do with the secular pioneers building what was to be the state. Worth reading about a humble man who luckily died before seeing the horror of the Holocaust.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-01-06 00:00:00 Thomas Arnold I almost wish I hadn't read this book, as it gave me insight into the writing method of F. Scott Fitzgerald which has left not only my opinion of him but of his work in a harsh new light. He literally drove his wife insane by stealing her life, writings and personality for his own literary ends. When she herself was published his name was included as author. When she tried to write a novel about her experience with mental illness, her threatened her publisher (who was also his publisher) with defection if her work was published before his own "Tender Is The Night". He told her she was a third rate writer but often quoted her diaries and letters verbatim in his novels and short stories. He also thought that he should be her personal psychiatrist and master - he felt he knew best how to treat her illness and often insisted her real doctors agree with him that he should be able to tell her what she could and could not do in all aspects of her life. He blamed her for his alcoholism. In spite of all this he never abandoned her and really did seem to love her, which only makes it all the worse.