The Bible in English: Its History and Influence

Rating:
Summary: A superb work on a book that changed the world!
Review: The bible in its different English language editions changed the world - from the Tyndale translation (written about by this author in his excellent earlier biography of Tyndale), through to the Geneva Bible read by many of the Puritans and thence to the King James Version that we all know and love today. Our concepts of freedom, our love for our own language and countless expressions that we take for granted are all derived from English language versions of the Bible. Read this splendid book and thank God for the wonderful work that translators have done over the centuries. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS MUSLISM AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan)...

Rating:
Summary: A superb work on a book that changed the world!
Review: The bible in its different English language editions changed the world - from the Tyndale translation (written about by this author in his excellent earlier biography of Tyndale), through to the Geneva Bible read by many of the Puritans and thence to the King James Version that we all know and love today. Our concepts of freedom, our love for our own language and countless expressions that we take for granted are all derived from English language versions of the Bible. Read this splendid book and thank God for the wonderful work that translators have done over the centuries. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS MUSLISM AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan)...

Rating:
Summary: For Those Who Truly Care
Review: The size of this book will discourage many people from even picking it up, which is a shame. Christians in the United States purport to love the Bible, but an appallingly small number actually read it, fewer study it, and fewer still know its story. Daniell's fine book tells the compelling story of the translation of the testaments into the English language -- pointing out in detail how this process changes the very meaning of that being translated. His story offers a reality check on the uncritical allegiance many Christians have to scriptural infallibility. Everyone interested in truly understanding how the Bible came to be the number 1 best seller of all time should read this book. Uneven in some places, somewhat patronizing and arrogant in others, Daniell nonetheless provides a valuable introduction to the English Bible.

Rating:
Summary: For Those Who Truly Care
Review: The size of this book will discourage many people from even picking it up, which is a shame. Christians in the United States purport to love the Bible, but an appallingly small number actually read it, fewer study it, and fewer still know its story. Daniell's fine book tells the compelling story of the translation of the testaments into the English language -- pointing out in detail how this process changes the very meaning that being translated. His story offers a reality check on the uncritical allegiance many Christians have to scriptural infallibility. Everyone interested in truly understanding how the Bible came to be the number 1 best seller of all time should read this book. Uneven in some places, somewhat patronizing and arrogant in others, Daniell nonetheless provides a valuable introduction to the English Bible.

Rating:
Summary: a mixture of interesting and silly
Review: This book is worth reading for the subject, but if you are a Christian or an American (or both) the author can be tiresome. He's one of those Euro intellectuals who thinks everybody who reads a King James Version Bible is "stupid" (and he even finds a way to get in the usual, required George W. Bush, 'Texans are dumb' bashing). At the beginning of his chapter on the KJV, as well, he lists four or five points that need to be 'cleared up' before he proceeds, and he then proceeds to write things that are basically at the level of: "English was not the original language of the Bible." He also makes the strange claim that many, again, "stupid" KJV Bible-readers call the King James Version the "St. James Version" because, according to him, they are so dumb they think King James was a saint and that the King James translation was actually translated by King James I himself. Aside from the strangeness of the claim (though I havn't lived in all parts of the U.S. so maybe somebody somewhere refers to the King James Version as the St. James Version, though I've never heard it nor seen it in print) Protestants don't even usually use the word saint in that manner, it being Protestant doctrine that all saved (or regenerate) Christians are saints. Suffice it to say, in these areas (and in his puerile Euro-style America/Bible-believing Christian bashing) the author comes across as more than a little tedious. When you read these parts of this book it makes you doubt that the author is really capable of bringing anything of worth in the other parts of the book. (ps- Upon doing an internet search on 'St. James Version' it seems to be a common typo type mistake made by people who usually are not the most familiar with the Bible in any translation to begin with, including major American newspapers, and it is not, as the author suggests, a way that Texan Bible believers commonly refer to the KJV...)

Rating:
Summary: a mixture of interesting and silly
Review: This book is worth reading for the subject, but if you are a Christian or an American (or both) the author can be tiresome. He's one of those Euro intellectuals who thinks everybody who reads a King James Version Bible is "stupid" (and he even finds a way to get in the usual, required George W. Bush, 'Texans are dumb' bashing). At the beginning of his chapter on the KJV, as well, he lists four or five points that need to be 'cleared up' before he proceeds, and he then proceeds to write things that are basically at the level of: "English was not the original language of the Bible." He also makes the strange claim that many, again, "stupid" KJV Bible-readers call the King James Version the "St. James Version" because, according to him, they are so dumb they think King James was a saint and that the King James translation was actually translated by King James I himself. Aside from the strangeness of the claim (though I havn't lived in all parts of the U.S. so maybe somebody somewhere refers to the King James Version as the St. James Version, though I've never heard it nor seen it in print) Protestants don't even usually use the word saint in that manner, it being Protestant doctrine that all saved (or regenerate) Christians are saints. Suffice it to say, in these areas (and in his puerile Euro-style America/Bible-believing Christian bashing) the author comes across as more than a little tedious. When you read these parts of this book it makes you doubt that the author is really capable of bringing anything of worth in the other parts of the book. (ps- Upon doing an internet search on 'St. James Version' it seems to be a common typo type mistake made by people who usually are not the most familiar with the Bible in any translation to begin with, including major American newspapers, and it is not, as the author suggests, a way that Texan Bible believers commonly refer to the KJV...)

Rating:
Summary: Interesting - not mixed with silly
Review: This book reads like a documentary - so if that's not your cup of tea, it might be a hard read. I'm a good way through it and it's been interesting and informative so far.

Regarding the St. James Version. First of all, that's been a long time running joke - with history of course. Fundamentalist, mostly the KJV only, crowd actually did mistakenly called it that. Even the Simpsons took a stab at it in one of their episodes.

If you do a google search for "St. James Version" -- include the quotes. It's about the 5th link down (may have changed). It'st on the AV1611 site - as in Authorized Version, year 1611 - aka the legendary year of the KJV. Half way down page, you will see "St. James Version".

There's a lot of rumors/stupidity circulating around about the KJV. It's widely agreed that it is outdated. It's historically shown that they authors (not King James himself and NOT Bill Shakespeare) chose to go with elegance rather then accuracy. The KJV was first a political weapon against the much royalty feared Geneva Bible. However, it is still a good translation and there's nothing wrong with it if you can understand the vernacular of the time. Roughly 90%, give or take, is William Tyndale - a master of the the English language. Part of the Old Testament is his and part is Miles Coverdales (sp?).

Anyway, it's a good book, well worth the money. Buy it.

Rating:
Summary: A masterful work!
Review: What I had thought would be a book I "ought to read" became a book I "had to read." Far from the dry, scholarly exposition I expected, Daniell writes in a clear, patient, conversational tone that made this book an excellent read.

In addition to his exhaustive research and clarity, the author is not afraid to stand up for his own personal beliefs (which are nearly always incontrovertible). Each of these little nuggets caused me to take a look at my own faith, which I found reinforced time and time again.

Daniell seems to have two causes - accuracy of translation and worship of the Almighty. When, occasionally, these two concepts come into conflict, it seems that Daniell would rather err on the side of majesty than clarity. I can't say that I totally disagree. In many attempts to make the Bible more accessible, translators (and paraphrasers) have made it less meaningful - have "cheapened" the majesty of God, if you will.

For not only recounting the history of the translation of the Bible into English, but by placing each version in a historical context (the chapter on Handel's "Messiah" is fascinating!), Daniell raised his work from the level of a reference work to that of a history that is well worth reading.