“A British Jew sent as a child to St. Helena who became a voyager and warrior and even king of his own island off the African coast. This exquisitely written book reveals the real, complex life of a Jew in the modern world.”

— Sander L. Gilman, author of Jewish Self-Hatred: Anti-Semitism and the Hidden Language of the Jews

 

“In this unusual and fascinating book, Rovner finds traces of Jewish history in places where few have thought to search. Beautifully written and difficult to put down.”

— Tudor Parfitt, author of Black Jews in Africa and the Americas

 

“With mesmerizing prose and an epic plot, this book re-creates the astounding life of a Jewish adventurer worthy of the silver screen. Adam Rovner proves a nimble tour guide through this powerful portrait of race, empire, and insatiable ambition.”

— Andrew Porwancher, author of The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton

 

“This astonishing story of a British Jewish adventurer doubles as a searching inquiry into the ways that slavery, sexism, racism, and antisemitism shaped Victorian society. A dazzling achievement.”

— Dane Kennedy, author of The Highly Civilized Man: Richard Burton and the Victorian World

 

“Inspired, entertaining, and thoroughly unsentimental, The Jew Who Would Be King is a masterwork about the turbulent life of a heretofore neglected nineteenth-century personage. A veritable page-turner.”

— Nathan P. Devir, author of New Children of Israel: Emerging Jewish Communities in an Era of Globalization