Mavericks, Mystics, and False Messiahs

Book Review of Mavericks, Mystics & False Messiahs: Episodes from the Margins of Jewish HistoryMavericks, Mystics, and False Messiahs
Rabbi Pini Dunner
Toby / 208pp

Mavericks, Mystics, and False Messiahs is an exciting look into some of the odd and colorful episodes in Jewish history. These include the stories of Shabtai Tzvi, Samuel Falk, George Gordon, the Emden-Eybeschutz controversy, Rav Yudel Rosenberg, and several others.

Least known on the list of characters is probably Ignatius Timotheus Emanuel Trebitsch-Lincoln, who was born in Hungary in 1879. During the course of his life he was a huckster and con man, a Protestant missionary, an Anglican priest, a member of the British Parliament, a spy for Germany, a Buddhist monk, and more. Very colorful personality.

These are stories most people don’t know, and in some cases, stories that the Jewish establishment wishes you didn’t know. Some chapters read like a suspense novel, others are more documentary or encyclopedic in nature. All are well-done and enjoyable.

The book is a very fun read and a great window into these odd events. I look forward to the next installment.

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