Rating: 
Summary: Skims the surface of a very interesting topic
Review: The lofty sub-title of this book: The Story of the King James Bible and How it Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture, leads one to believe there will be more substance here than there actually is. It is a slender book that skims the surface of each sub-heading before moving along to the next. (There is lots of blank space, headings, and pictures on just over 300 pages.) Amidst the skimming are some interesting bits of information, e.g., an explanation of how upper and lower case recieved their names, the English translations that preceded the King James version (did you even realize there were any?)and its debt to them, the politics behind the translation and translator selection, and a section on Hebrew idioms that entered the English language through the King James translation. This last is quite an eye-opener. Overall, the book reads like a series of lectures that, in a university setting, would accompany an in-depth reading list. It offers a good introductory summary, but leaves gaps to be filled. Fortunately, there is a detailed bibliography with ample sources for anyone who would like to pursue the subjects covered here further. An interesting topic, but the book left me feeling unsatiated.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Review: The thing I most appreeciated about the book is that the author seems completely removed from the KJV-Only controversy. Just relevant history and ubiased research. Those wanting a concise yet informative account of the making of the King James Version will enjoy it as I did!
Rating: 
Summary: Quite a fascinating book!
Review: This book is the story of the King James Version of the Bible. Beginning with the origin of printing in the Fifteenth Century with Johannes Gutenberg, the author then launches into an in-depth history of English-language translations of the Bible, from Wycliffe through to the Geneva Bible of 1560. Along the way, the reader is given a thorough understanding of the politics of translations, along with the technical problems of translating and printing a Bible. Then, the KJV is dealt with, including information on the translation and problems encountered. (Did you know that the 1631 edition included a typographic error that resulted in the commandment, "Thou shalt commit adultery"?) Finally, there are extensive notes on the problems with acceptance of the new Bible, and its eventual triumph and effects on the English Language. As an added bonus, one appendix includes a fascinating comparison of nine different versions of the Bible, in the form of reproducing their translation of the 23rd Psalm. I found this addition quite enlightening to read, and am glad that it is included. This is quite a fascinating book! Somehow, the author succeeds in being both thorough, and yet not the least boring. (Quite the opposite!) The chapters are broken down into small sections, which are nice for readers who need convenient places to put the book down for the night. Overall, I thought that this is a great read, and quite worth the money. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
Rating:
Summary: Focuses on language and doctrine
Review: This book on the origin of the Authorised Version or "King James" Bible contrasts well with another recent book on the same subject, Benson Bobrick's -Wide as the Waters-.
The Bobrick book focuses on history and personalities, and since it must cover a lot of ground, covering virtually the whole period of the English Reformation from the standpoint of its effects on Bible translations, any given sketch must necessarily be superficial. Bobrick's brief chapter on the period of the English Civil War and its resonance through later English and American history is particularly sketchy, though it would be informative to the too many people who may be exposed to this bit of history for the first time.
McGrath, by contrast, is a professional theologian. His book focuses only slightly on personalities, but he digs into the texts. Particularly enlightening is his discussion of the text and annotations of the Geneva Bible; he explains exactly why some of these inoffensive seeming notes actually gave annoyance to high churchmen and royal absolutists. He also extensively discusses the conservatism of the King James Bible in both language and translation, and contrasts even its grammar with that used by contemporary writers like Shakespeare.
Those who are unfamiliar with the English Reformation may find the Bobrick book more enlightening. People who have some familiarity with the period, and are interested in the doctrines and language of these Bibles will find McGrath more interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Focuses on language and doctrine
Review: This book on the origin of the Authorised Version or "King James" Bible contrasts well with another recent book on the same subject, Benson Bobrick's -Wide as the Waters-.
The Bobrick book focuses on history and personalities, and since it must cover a lot of ground, covering virtually the whole period of the English Reformation from the standpoint of its effects on Bible translations, any given sketch must necessarily be superficial. Bobrick's brief chapter on the period of the English Civil War and its resonance through later English and American history is particularly sketchy, though it would be informative to the too many people who may be exposed to this bit of history for the first time.
McGrath, by contrast, is a professional theologian. His book focuses only slightly on personalities, but he digs into the texts. Particularly enlightening is his discussion of the text and annotations of the Geneva Bible; he explains exactly why some of these inoffensive seeming notes actually gave annoyance to high churchmen and royal absolutists. He also extensively discusses the conservatism of the King James Bible in both language and translation, and contrasts even its grammar with that used by contemporary writers like Shakespeare.
Those who are unfamiliar with the English Reformation may find the Bobrick book more enlightening. People who have some familiarity with the period, and are interested in the doctrines and language of these Bibles will find McGrath more interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Vital Story Disappointingly Told
Review: This book,("the Story of the King James Bible and how it Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture") should have been much better than it is. Benson Bobrick's "How Wide the Waters" covers the same topic (strange coincidence?), but I chose McGrath's version because it is shorter, cheaper, and, Anglophile snob that I am, I assumed a Brit must be a better writer than an American. Although I haven't yet read Bobrick, I was almost certainly dead wrong. McGrath is a heavy, didactic writer. He can't make a point without making it two or three times in succession. Since this is not a long book, his repetitiveness means he must, perforce, leave some things out. One inexcusable omission is the relationship of the King James Version to the Book of Common Prayer, written half a century earlier and also destined to survive well into the 20th Century. (E.g., "for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part"). Both works are essential to the Anglican/Episcopal tradition. Incredibly, neither the BCP nor its primary author, Thomas Cranmer, appears in the index, and I found only one or two references to the BCP in the text. Incomplete as it is, the story this book tells is worth telling, and I learned much from reading it. That much can be said for many a humdrum textbook.
Rating:
Summary: Combination history, theology, linguistics, & story telling
Review: This is a rare book that takes an academic subject, and tells a story that is so vivid, so engrossing that the reader forgets how dry this material would have been in the hands of a lesser author. McGrath combines a historical narrative, amusing anecdotes, theological discussions and linguistics to tell the story of how the King James Bible came to be. It is a tale of royal court intrigue, civil strife, religious feudings, strange personalities, and the future of the nation that came to dominate the world with its language. The making of modern English is intimately tied with the famous biblical translation. I was never aware that English royalty spoke Latin and French, and looked down on English as a commoner language which the royalty did not bother to learn! This is also the story of the reformation and the personalities behind it, the royal response to it, and the immense academic enterprise that became the official translation. I never knew how the bible had been used by religious authorities in Europe to maintain power, nor how the translation liberated the people. The roles of Martin Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, and others was also fascinating. An excellent read, whether in a coffee shop, a reading room, or in bed.
Rating:
Summary: Far More Than King James
Review: This is an engrossing history of the King James Bible (Authorized Version) and its impact on the English language and culture. The author details the movement towards an English Bible and connects it to the wider story of the Protestant Reformation. It turns out that the King James Bible was authorized out of political necessity. The King was new on the throne and in the country and wanted to do something to solidify his support. He also wanted to weaken the growing power of the Puritans, whose preferred translation, called the Geneva Bible, contained notes which were too anti-monarchy for the King's comfort. There's a lot of fascinating information about the way the King James Bible reflected its own times (it was deliberately produced in language which was slightly old fashioned even in the 1600s) and the varying ways in which it has been received over the centuries. Its an excellent book whether you are interested in theology, language, or both.
Rating:
Summary: Superb concise unbiased presentation
Review: This was exactly what I expected, the background history of events leading to the current uncopyrighted version of the Bible, the political forces influencing it, the factors leading to its popularity, and a brief explanation of its linguistic anomalies. The story flows well and is pleasantly concise while containing enough repetition to aid memory. The only bias I could detect is a hint of fawning praise for the "elegant" language of the translation, which is probably considered elegant only because the book is so well known and automatically revered by many of its readers. Translation from Latin into English was originally prohibited to preserve the wealth and power of the ruling class, of course. There is also the little matter of sex and violence. Ostensibly it was to ensure that the Word of God was properly conveyed unto the masses by direct translation from the True Bible by His most educated representatives. Of course the Latin versions were translations riddled with both translation and copying errors from earlier versions, and the clerics often had a weak grasp of Latin. The KJV was necessitated by the popularity of the Geneva Bible, which contained dangerous explanations. One of those denied that kings ruled by divine right. The translators were therefore instructed to alter the words of the official Bible only when absolutely necessary to eliminate earlier errors. Thus we have the anomolous "thou" and "thee" and the "eth" ending on plurals, forms that were already going out of style by 1611. Copyright protection, political pluralism, and sectarianism should protect the KJV from adoption of another standard, so this book will be relevant until at least the invention of warp drive.
Rating:
Summary: In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How
Review: Very well written, extremely informative and interesting. I learned alot more of how the Bible came about and how different Bibles developed. Interesting not only to the Christian community but also to history people. Fascinating read.
|
