One of the most urgent and complex issues of our time is given a new approach in the book On Antisemitism: A Word in History, by British historian Mark Mazower. The work begins with a question that has become unavoidable in today’s landscape: after all, what are we talking about when we talk about antisemitism?
In the book, Mazower traces the historical trajectory of the term, showing how its meaning has evolved over the centuries. More than a conceptual analysis, the author demonstrates how these changes continue to shape key contemporary debates, including issues related to Israel, Jewish identity, political extremism, historical memory, and the challenges facing modern democracies.
The work stands out for offering an accessible yet deeply grounded reading, helping audiences navigate a topic often marked by ambiguity and competing interpretations. By placing the term in different historical contexts, Mazower invites readers to reflect more clearly on one of the most sensitive and polarized debates of our time.
Recognized by international critics, the book was named one of the year’s highlights by The New Yorker, reinforcing its relevance in the global intellectual landscape.
About Mark Mazower
Mark Mazower is a British historian of Russian Jewish descent, born in London into a family with roots in the Jewish socialist Bund movement. His great-grandfather was the renowned Yiddish writer Sholem Asch. Mazower, a professor at Columbia University, has explored his own family history and Jewish identity, particularly in his work What You Did Not Tell: A Russian Past and the Journey Home.
The Ira D. Wallach Professor of History, Mazower specializes in modern Greece, twentieth-century Europe, and international history. His current interests include the long-term historical evolution of the Greek islands. He also comments on international affairs and writes book reviews for publications such as the Financial Times, The Nation, the London Review of Books, and the New York Review of Books.
In 2016, he collaborated with director Constantine Giannaris on the film Techniques of the Body, a reflection on the refugee crisis in Greek history. His most recent books include The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe (2021), winner of the Duff Cooper Prize, and What You Did Not Tell: A Russian Past and the Journey Home (2017), a family history.
Mazower is also Director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination, based at Reid Hall in Paris, which brings together scholars with internationally renowned artists, writers, composers, and filmmakers. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the British Academy.
