In 1987, exactly a quarter-century ago, the appearance of a work of Jewish history caused a stir.  For one thing, the author was not Jewish; for another, the book was unashamedly supportive of the State of Israel, which even then was enough to provoke hostility, especially on the Left.  I refer to A History of the Jews, not merely out of filial pride (the author was my father, Paul Johnson) but because my work on the manuscript earned me a mention in the acknowledgements.  To this day A History of the Jews has never been out of print, and it occupies a unique place in the historiography of the subject.  Friends, acquaintances, and complete strangers, Jews and Gentiles alike, often come up to me to pay tribute to my father.  This is less surprising if...