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Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for students of the Greek and Early Church
Review: I have both this volume of Eusebius' History of the Church (translator, Kirsopp Lake) and the Penguin Classics version, translated by G.A. Williamson and containing all 10 Books comprising Eusebius complete "History of the Church." Kirsopp Lake's volume only has Books I-V, with the other Books VI-X in another volume. This edition (part of the Loeb series) has the original Greek text on all the left hand pages and Kirsopp Lake's English translation on all the right hand pages. There is a difference in the footnotes and margin notes of Kirsopp Lake and G.A. Williamson. Lake's footnotes are more accurate than Williamson's. Lake usually points out the exact primary source (author, work, chapter number) for any of Eusebius' assertions while Williamson is prone to just supply the author's name on occasion, which is frustrating if you are verifying the sources yourself. Moreover, Williamson is occasionally wrong in his explanatory footnotes--asserting theories or arguments in support of Eusebius' text that have not borne close scrutiny later or which are incomplete. Lake's footnotes explain both any misconceptions or controversy about one of Eusebius' points and then attempts to resolve it in the most plausible fashion. The margin notes in Lake's volume are also noteworthy. Lake tries to reference every source Eusebius uses and list it for the reader. Williamson is not as precise or thorough. This helps if you want to know from material Eusebius is drawing his material from. The book itself is a beautiful little volume. It is almost pocket-sized, bound by a rich, green cloth (or cloth-like) material with gold lettering if you display it without the paper jacket. It will be a gem for both your collection and bookshelf display!
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the investment
Review: I have read Eusebius's Church History in four different translations, and find K. Lake's consistently the best, most readable. The Greek text is of course very helpful, for confirming the exact terminology used by Eus. The side-by-side layout, as used in all the Loeb volumes, is very helpful. The Eerdman press translation is not as readable, more stiff and "King James-ie" but the footnotes and intro material are very good. That translation is available online...
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