Holman Legacy Ultrathin Reference Bible Large: Holman Legacy, Ultrathin Reference, Black, Genuine Cowhide Leather, Large Print Edition,Words of Christ in Red, Two Ribbon Markers, Bonded leather Lin

Rating:
Summary: Very pleased with this edition...
Review: I was very slow to warm to the Holman CSB. I avoided it for the most part as I believed that there was little reason to bring out yet another modern translation--we are literally awash in a sea of translations. And, like Larry below, I loved the ESV, but was waiting for a quality edition (Crossway cannot seem to publish a quality Bible).

At some point I began including the CSB in parallel searches online and was impressed, upon doing word studies, with the sense of the translation. For example, the CSB, along with only the NJB, captures what I believe is the correct sense of John 3:16. I also like the the treatment of Romans 6:6. Occasionally, I run across phrases that are at first not pleasant to my ears, like "human race" instead of the more usual "sons of man", or "temple complex" rather than just "temple". But, I seem to quickly get used to them and I'm generally delighted with the readability of the CSB. Perhaps most striking is the clarity of the translation. It is rendered in contemporary English and is very clear as to the meaning of the text. It is not a biblical English like the ESV, but not a street English either. At any rate I'm using it more and more and am benefiting greatly from its use.

This particular edition is very nice. The leather is a fine cowhide, thinner than the Cambridge calfskin Bibles that I own, but softer as a result. The paper is fine--it could have been a little thicker, but it's better than standard Bible paper and the amount of bleed-through is acceptable to me (It is an Ultrathin after all). The print is large enough to be comfortable at 10.5 and the Bible is very nicely laid out as regards the general typography. This is the nicest edition of the HCSB to date. I highly recommend this translation and this particularly edition. I don't believe you will be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent quality Bible
Review: This is a very high quality Bible. The binding and overall craftsmanship is superb. In fact, the publisher (Holman) offers a lifetime guarantee. One caveat is that the print size, at 10.5, is not really what one would consider large print, although it is quite legible. The translation itself seems to be quite readable with a fairly high level of accuracy. It appears to be a cross between the literal accuracy of the NASB and the readability of the NIV. (Note: While I personally prefer the ESV, the quality of Bibles released to date by its publisher, Crossway, has been rather disappointing, to put it mildly)."