Disraeli, Benjamin, (Coningsby; or, The New Generation [originally published in 1844, hc, Wentworth Press, 2016] 978-1360818009 [pb, Wentworth Press, 2015] 978-1519319876 [The protagonist of the novel, Harry Coningsby, represents a new generation of visionary British leaders. He is mentored by the enigmatic character called “Sidonia”, widely seen as a blend of Disraeli himself and Baron Lionel de Rothschild. A fabulously wealthy Jewish banker of Spanish Sephardic descent, Sidonia is portrayed as almost superhuman in his intelligence, worldly knowledge, and cool detachment. Through Sidonia, Disraeli expresses his views on “natural aristocracy” and Jewish racial superiority. Sidonia teaches Harry to look beyond rigid institutions and find England’s future in its “national character” and the power of youth. While he is a subordinate figure in the plot, he is the philosophical core of the book. He encourages Harry to have faith in himself and “to believe in the heroic”.
United Kingdom · Fiction author
Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1884, born and died in London) – the famous statesman and prime minister of Britain during Victoria’s reign was also a lifelong novelist. His writings did not treat Jewish criminals or immigrants like Israel Zangwill’s. Instead, his work often features powerful, high-status Jewish figures who operate through “subterranean agencies” and secret global networks, a portrayal that critics argue unwittingly fueled modern conspiracy myths. : Rather than associating Jews with low-level crime, Disraeli’s novels often argue for the racial superiority of the “Hebrew” race. He used his fiction to counter contemporary stereotypes of Jewish “vulgarity and greed” with an idealized vision of Jewish talent and aristocratic lineage. While he usually exalted Jews, some of his novels included stereotypical depictions, such as the “vulgar” Jewish moneylender
Levison (in the 1837 novel Henrietta Temple), which drew on common anti-Semitic tropes of the time. Disraeli’s idealized Jewish characters were often far removed from the actual condition of poor, immigrant Jews of his era. He tended to identify with a “noble ancient Jewish race” while largely ignoring or distancing himself from the struggles and occasional legal issues of the contemporary Jewish community.
Disraeli, Benjamin, (Tancred; Or, The New Crusade [originally published in 1847, hc, Wentworth Press, 2016] 978-1373092229 [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2015] 978-1519319890 [This is the final volume of Disraeli’s “Young England” trilogy – the middle volume titled Sybil – in which Sidonia evolves from a mysterious mentor to a critical intellectual and spiritual guide. He acts as the trilogy’s philosophical bridge, appearing in all three works to promote the idea that “all is race” and that societal salvation lies in spiritual and racial origins rather than modern political institutions. He continues to represent the “natural aristocracy” that Disraeli believed should lead the nation. When the main protagonist, Tancred, becomes disillusioned with English society, Sidonia encourages his pilgrimage to the Holy Land to “penetrate the great Asian mystery” and rediscover the roots of Western civilization. When Tancred is abducted in Jerusalem, Sidonia serves as a negotiator to secure his release. In this novel, Sidonia’s teachings reach their peak. He argues that Jews produced the world’s greatest leaders and reformers—including Moses and Jesus—and that Christianity is essentially “completed Judaism”. Sidonia serves as the vehicle for Disraeli’s belief that race is the primary driver of history. He argues that the “Semitic principle” represents the spiritual element in humanity and that the Jewish race is the “trustee of tradition”.Literary critics often view Sidonia as an idealized version of Disraeli himself—a figure of immense power and wisdom who commands respect from the highest levels of the British aristocracy despite being an outsider. [Google/AI]