Books

As an author, Abt has published influential works on museums and exhibitions with an emphasis on the interrelations of the history of ideas, culture, and society. His books—such as American Egyptologist, Valuing Detroit’s Art Museum, and Too Jewish or Not Jewish Enough—are cited in both scholarly and public discussions about museums and the communities they serve.

American Egyptologist

The Life of James Henry Breasted and the Creation of His Oriental Institute

Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2011

Reviews

REVIEWS (popular/non-specialist publications)

  • “For Pharaophiles,” Minerva 23, 6 (November-December 2013)

  • Andrew Robinson, “From Ploughs to Pyramids,” Nature 484 (5 April 2012): 33-34

  • John Ray, “From Illinois to Mesopotamia,” Wall Street Journal (23 February 2012): A13

  • “Briefly Noted,” The New Yorker 88, no. 1 (13 & 20 February 2012): 109

  • Peter Monaghan, “Monumental Egyptologists,” Chronicle of Higher Education (15 January 2012): B14

  • Jane Jakeman, Times Literary Supplement [London], No. 5675 (6 January 2012): 26-27

  • Debbie Challis, Times Higher Education [London] (15 December 2011): 51


​REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)

  • Eric H. Cline, American Journal of Archaeology 118, no. 3 (July 2014): www.ajaonline.org/online-review-book/1824. DOI: 10.3764/ajonline1183

  • Lindsay J. Ambridge, Journal of the American Oriental Society 134, no. 2 (April-June 2014), 345-47

  • Rosa Erika Feleg, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 106, no. 2 (Summer 2013): 339-41

  • Whitney Davis, caa.reviews [online] (25 April 2013): www.caareviews.org/reviews/2023

  • Jeffrey Trask, American Historical Review 118, no. 2 (April 2013): 530-31

  • Emily Teeter, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 72, no. 1 (April 2013): 144-46

  • Kathleen L. Sheppard, Isis [History of Science Society], 104, no. 1 (March 2013): 167-68

  • Boyo Ockinga, Ancient History: Resources for Teachers 40, no. 1 (2013): 96-100

  • Morris Bierbrier, ASTENE (Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East) Bulletin 54 (Winter 2012-2013): 8

  • William Carruthers, British Journal for the History of Science 45, no. 4 (December 2012): 691-692

  • Jason Thompson, Egyptian Archaeology: Bulletin of the Egypt Exploration Society [UK] 41 (Autumn 2012): 43-44

  • Tim Murray, Bulletin of the History of Archaeology 22, no. 2 (2012), 23

  • Joseph G. Manning, “Brief Review of Jeffrey Abt’s Bio of James Henry Breasted,” The Ancient Historian [blog] (25 November 2012): http://theancienthistorian.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/brief-review-of-jeffrey-abts-bio-of-james-henry-breasted/

  • Sarah Griffiths, Ancient Egypt: The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley [UK] 13, no. 1, issue no. 73 (August/September 2012): 54

  • Joyce Tyldesley, History Today [UK] 62, issue 7 (July 2012): 60

  • Andrew Robinson, “James Henry Breasted: An American in Egypt,” Current World Archaeology [UK] 51 (4 January 2012): 60-62

NOTICES

  • Julie Cline, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Book,” Los Angeles Review of Books (25 November 2011)

American Egyptologist

The Life of James Henry Breasted and the Creation of His Oriental Institute

Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2011

Reviews

REVIEWS (popular/non-specialist publications)

  • “For Pharaophiles,” Minerva 23, 6 (November-December 2013)

  • Andrew Robinson, “From Ploughs to Pyramids,” Nature 484 (5 April 2012): 33-34

  • John Ray, “From Illinois to Mesopotamia,” Wall Street Journal (23 February 2012): A13

  • “Briefly Noted,” The New Yorker 88, no. 1 (13 & 20 February 2012): 109

  • Peter Monaghan, “Monumental Egyptologists,” Chronicle of Higher Education (15 January 2012): B14

  • Jane Jakeman, Times Literary Supplement [London], No. 5675 (6 January 2012): 26-27

  • Debbie Challis, Times Higher Education [London] (15 December 2011): 51


​REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)

  • Eric H. Cline, American Journal of Archaeology 118, no. 3 (July 2014): www.ajaonline.org/online-review-book/1824. DOI: 10.3764/ajonline1183

  • Lindsay J. Ambridge, Journal of the American Oriental Society 134, no. 2 (April-June 2014), 345-47

  • Rosa Erika Feleg, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 106, no. 2 (Summer 2013): 339-41

  • Whitney Davis, caa.reviews [online] (25 April 2013): www.caareviews.org/reviews/2023

  • Jeffrey Trask, American Historical Review 118, no. 2 (April 2013): 530-31

  • Emily Teeter, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 72, no. 1 (April 2013): 144-46

  • Kathleen L. Sheppard, Isis [History of Science Society], 104, no. 1 (March 2013): 167-68

  • Boyo Ockinga, Ancient History: Resources for Teachers 40, no. 1 (2013): 96-100

  • Morris Bierbrier, ASTENE (Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East) Bulletin 54 (Winter 2012-2013): 8

  • William Carruthers, British Journal for the History of Science 45, no. 4 (December 2012): 691-692

  • Jason Thompson, Egyptian Archaeology: Bulletin of the Egypt Exploration Society [UK] 41 (Autumn 2012): 43-44

  • Tim Murray, Bulletin of the History of Archaeology 22, no. 2 (2012), 23

  • Joseph G. Manning, “Brief Review of Jeffrey Abt’s Bio of James Henry Breasted,” The Ancient Historian [blog] (25 November 2012): http://theancienthistorian.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/brief-review-of-jeffrey-abts-bio-of-james-henry-breasted/

  • Sarah Griffiths, Ancient Egypt: The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley [UK] 13, no. 1, issue no. 73 (August/September 2012): 54

  • Joyce Tyldesley, History Today [UK] 62, issue 7 (July 2012): 60

  • Andrew Robinson, “James Henry Breasted: An American in Egypt,” Current World Archaeology [UK] 51 (4 January 2012): 60-62

NOTICES

  • Julie Cline, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Book,” Los Angeles Review of Books (25 November 2011)

American Egyptologist

The Life of James Henry Breasted and the Creation of His Oriental Institute

Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2011

Reviews

REVIEWS (popular/non-specialist publications)

  • “For Pharaophiles,” Minerva 23, 6 (November-December 2013)

  • Andrew Robinson, “From Ploughs to Pyramids,” Nature 484 (5 April 2012): 33-34

  • John Ray, “From Illinois to Mesopotamia,” Wall Street Journal (23 February 2012): A13

  • “Briefly Noted,” The New Yorker 88, no. 1 (13 & 20 February 2012): 109

  • Peter Monaghan, “Monumental Egyptologists,” Chronicle of Higher Education (15 January 2012): B14

  • Jane Jakeman, Times Literary Supplement [London], No. 5675 (6 January 2012): 26-27

  • Debbie Challis, Times Higher Education [London] (15 December 2011): 51


​REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)

  • Eric H. Cline, American Journal of Archaeology 118, no. 3 (July 2014): www.ajaonline.org/online-review-book/1824. DOI: 10.3764/ajonline1183

  • Lindsay J. Ambridge, Journal of the American Oriental Society 134, no. 2 (April-June 2014), 345-47

  • Rosa Erika Feleg, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 106, no. 2 (Summer 2013): 339-41

  • Whitney Davis, caa.reviews [online] (25 April 2013): www.caareviews.org/reviews/2023

  • Jeffrey Trask, American Historical Review 118, no. 2 (April 2013): 530-31

  • Emily Teeter, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 72, no. 1 (April 2013): 144-46

  • Kathleen L. Sheppard, Isis [History of Science Society], 104, no. 1 (March 2013): 167-68

  • Boyo Ockinga, Ancient History: Resources for Teachers 40, no. 1 (2013): 96-100

  • Morris Bierbrier, ASTENE (Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East) Bulletin 54 (Winter 2012-2013): 8

  • William Carruthers, British Journal for the History of Science 45, no. 4 (December 2012): 691-692

  • Jason Thompson, Egyptian Archaeology: Bulletin of the Egypt Exploration Society [UK] 41 (Autumn 2012): 43-44

  • Tim Murray, Bulletin of the History of Archaeology 22, no. 2 (2012), 23

  • Joseph G. Manning, “Brief Review of Jeffrey Abt’s Bio of James Henry Breasted,” The Ancient Historian [blog] (25 November 2012): http://theancienthistorian.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/brief-review-of-jeffrey-abts-bio-of-james-henry-breasted/

  • Sarah Griffiths, Ancient Egypt: The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley [UK] 13, no. 1, issue no. 73 (August/September 2012): 54

  • Joyce Tyldesley, History Today [UK] 62, issue 7 (July 2012): 60

  • Andrew Robinson, “James Henry Breasted: An American in Egypt,” Current World Archaeology [UK] 51 (4 January 2012): 60-62

NOTICES

  • Julie Cline, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Book,” Los Angeles Review of Books (25 November 2011)

Valuing Detroit's Art Museum

A History of Fiscal Abandonment and Rescue

New York and London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Reviews

REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)

Valuing Detroit's Art Museum

A History of Fiscal Abandonment and Rescue

New York and London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Reviews

REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)

Valuing Detroit's Art Museum

A History of Fiscal Abandonment and Rescue

New York and London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Reviews

REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)

Too Jewish or Not Jewish Enough

Ritual Objects and Avant-Garde Art at the Jewish Museum of New York

New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2024

Reviews

REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)​

  • Shir Kochavi, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, [available online, print forthcoming]

  • Yaniv Feller, Journal of the History of Collections, [available online, print forthcoming]

  • Marjorie Schwarzer, Museum Management and Curatorship, 40, no. 4 (August 2025): 580—83

  • Jaimie Luria, Museum Worlds, 13, no. 1 (July 2025): 265—67

  • Gabriel M. Goldstein, Ars Judaica: The Bar-Ilan Journal of Jewish Art, 20 (2024):169—72

  • Ilka Gordon, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews, 5, no. 3 (Winter 2025): 34—35

  • Jill Joshowitz, Religious Studies Review, 50, no. 2 (June 2024): 376—77

  • Larry Silver, IMAGES: A Journal of Jewish Art and Visual Culture, 17, no. 1 (December 2024): 207—9

BOOK TALKS

  • “Ritual Objects and Avant-Garde Art at the Jewish Museum of New York,” in “In Conversa-tion” series, Museums and Galleries History Group, United Kingdom, October 2025

  • What Jews Wanted to See: A Jewish Museum’s Advocates, Critics, and Audiences,” in “From the Researcher’s Desk” series, Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University (Israel), March 2025

  • [Untitled,] Jewish Museum (New York), February 2025

  • “Between the Lines” series, Jewish Theological Seminary (New York), November 2024​

PODCASTS

  • Book launch | Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Michigan​, March 2024

  • Frankely Judaic podcast | Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan, May 2024

  • Conversation with Deborah Dash Moore, “Community, Identity and the Jewish Museum in Postwar New York,” University of Michigan Museum Studies series, “Cross Currents: Transdisciplinary Dialogues on the Museum,” November 2011

Too Jewish or Not Jewish Enough

Ritual Objects and Avant-Garde Art at the Jewish Museum of New York

New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2024

Reviews

REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)​

  • Shir Kochavi, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, [available online, print forthcoming]

  • Yaniv Feller, Journal of the History of Collections, [available online, print forthcoming]

  • Marjorie Schwarzer, Museum Management and Curatorship, 40, no. 4 (August 2025): 580—83

  • Jaimie Luria, Museum Worlds, 13, no. 1 (July 2025): 265—67

  • Gabriel M. Goldstein, Ars Judaica: The Bar-Ilan Journal of Jewish Art, 20 (2024):169—72

  • Ilka Gordon, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews, 5, no. 3 (Winter 2025): 34—35

  • Jill Joshowitz, Religious Studies Review, 50, no. 2 (June 2024): 376—77

  • Larry Silver, IMAGES: A Journal of Jewish Art and Visual Culture, 17, no. 1 (December 2024): 207—9

BOOK TALKS

  • “Ritual Objects and Avant-Garde Art at the Jewish Museum of New York,” in “In Conversa-tion” series, Museums and Galleries History Group, United Kingdom, October 2025

  • What Jews Wanted to See: A Jewish Museum’s Advocates, Critics, and Audiences,” in “From the Researcher’s Desk” series, Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University (Israel), March 2025

  • [Untitled,] Jewish Museum (New York), February 2025

  • “Between the Lines” series, Jewish Theological Seminary (New York), November 2024​

PODCASTS

  • Book launch | Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Michigan​, March 2024

  • Frankely Judaic podcast | Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan, May 2024

  • Conversation with Deborah Dash Moore, “Community, Identity and the Jewish Museum in Postwar New York,” University of Michigan Museum Studies series, “Cross Currents: Transdisciplinary Dialogues on the Museum,” November 2011

Too Jewish or Not Jewish Enough

Ritual Objects and Avant-Garde Art at the Jewish Museum of New York

New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2024

Reviews

REVIEWS (scholarly/specialist publications)​

  • Shir Kochavi, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, [available online, print forthcoming]

  • Yaniv Feller, Journal of the History of Collections, [available online, print forthcoming]

  • Marjorie Schwarzer, Museum Management and Curatorship, 40, no. 4 (August 2025): 580—83

  • Jaimie Luria, Museum Worlds, 13, no. 1 (July 2025): 265—67

  • Gabriel M. Goldstein, Ars Judaica: The Bar-Ilan Journal of Jewish Art, 20 (2024):169—72

  • Ilka Gordon, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews, 5, no. 3 (Winter 2025): 34—35

  • Jill Joshowitz, Religious Studies Review, 50, no. 2 (June 2024): 376—77

  • Larry Silver, IMAGES: A Journal of Jewish Art and Visual Culture, 17, no. 1 (December 2024): 207—9

BOOK TALKS

  • “Ritual Objects and Avant-Garde Art at the Jewish Museum of New York,” in “In Conversa-tion” series, Museums and Galleries History Group, United Kingdom, October 2025

  • What Jews Wanted to See: A Jewish Museum’s Advocates, Critics, and Audiences,” in “From the Researcher’s Desk” series, Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University (Israel), March 2025

  • [Untitled,] Jewish Museum (New York), February 2025

  • “Between the Lines” series, Jewish Theological Seminary (New York), November 2024​

PODCASTS

  • Book launch | Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Michigan​, March 2024

  • Frankely Judaic podcast | Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan, May 2024

  • Conversation with Deborah Dash Moore, “Community, Identity and the Jewish Museum in Postwar New York,” University of Michigan Museum Studies series, “Cross Currents: Transdisciplinary Dialogues on the Museum,” November 2011