Visual History of the English Bible, A: The Tumultuous Tale of the World's Bestselling Book | 
 enlarge | Author: Donald L. Brake
Publisher: Baker Books
Category: Book
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $16.31
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Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 83215
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 080101316X
Dewey Decimal Number: 220.52009
EAN: 9780801013164
ASIN: 080101316X
Publication Date: September 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Excellent condition. Small remainder mark.
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Product Description
With a full color layout and over one hundred illustrations, A Visual History of the English Bible covers the fascinating journey of the Bible from the pulpit to the people. Renowned biblical scholar Donald L. Brake invites readers to explore the process of transformation from medieval manuscripts to the contemporary translations of our day. Along the way, readers will meet many heroes of the faith--men and women who preserved and published the Scriptures, often at risk of their own lives. From Wycliffe and Tyndale to King Henry VIII and the Geneva Bible, from the Bishop's Bible and the King James Version to the American Revolution and the Civil War, this tumultuous tale is history come alive. This book is perfect for history buffs, bibliophiles, and anyone interested in the colorful account of the world's most popular book.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 I Wanted it To Be a Standout November 18, 2008
I wanted A Visual History of the English Bible to be a standout. A book that I spied in a catalog and knew I just needed to read, it deals with a topic I love and in a way that is fresh and compelling. Few readers of the English Bible really understand the history of their Bible and fewer still understand the countless sacrifices that were made to bring it to us. A book like this helps us understand even more what a treasure the Bible truly is and how blessed we are to have it available to us.
In A Visual History of the English Bible, Donald Brake simply tells the story of the English Bible, beginning with the earliest pre-English Bibles and concluding with the multiplicity of modern translations. Of course he passes through John Wycliffe, Martin Luther (whose contribution to the English Bible is undoubtedly greater than most people realize), William Tyndale and his contemporaries, and of course to the men who together translated the King James Version. He pauses to describe many lesser-known Bibles, some of which have little significance but others of which shaped and influenced the translations that would follow. Though this is a topic whose books are often written for the academy, this one is clearly written for a much more general audience. The prose is informal, as reference books go, and relies little on a lexicon unique to the subject matter.
Many references books are oversized--books that are difficult to carry around and sometimes even difficult to read. This title, though, is quite a standard hardcover size. Printed throughout on glossy paper it is exceptionally heavy, but still easy enough to carry and to read. It is wonderfully illustrated in full color. Rarely will a reader go more than two pages without finding an illustration, a photograph or a sidebar containing some kind of interesting and relevant information. The illustrations portray the heroes or villains in the story or display the beautiful Bibles that have survived from antiquity. Many of the photographs even come from the author's collection. In the sidebars the book weaves together the history of the English Bible with the author's quest to establish his own collection of rare antique Bibles. These stories, in which we find the author traveling the world seeking to track down some great treasure, are delightfully geeky but, for that very reason, a great deal of fun. By his own admission, there is a "gentle madness" in the serious pursuit of any collectible and his obsession is readily apparent in the pages of his book. It makes for good reading.
With so much good, this book could have been a standout. Unfortunately, tragically even, the book failed to live up to its promise. I say this with great disappointment as A Visual History of the English Bible could so easily have been one of my favorite books of the year. But sadly, it is hampered by poor writing. The writing is at times mediocre and at other times--too many times--just plain bad. The author relies heavily on the passive voice and includes far too many clunky sentences. Too many times the book launches forward into the future before returning to the past, providing a time line that is very difficult to follow. The writing was such a disappointment to me, especially for a book published by Baker; it is certain atypical for a book with this kind of problem to make its way through Baker's editorial process.
A Visual History of the English Bible is a book that oozes with potential, yet sadly, one that can't quite live up to it (or maybe it just can't live up to my lofty desires for it). Dogged by some poor writing, it offers great information and wonderful illustrations, but often surrounded by substandard prose. This is not to say that it is without value. The information it contains is excellent and there is much to gain from reading it. But it is sad that so much sound substance could be surrounded by so much poor style. In the hands of a good editor this book could have been a standout. But even saying that, I have little trouble recommending it as I know you'll enjoy it, as I did, for its better qualities.
 Wow! What an amazing book! November 11, 2008
This is such an amazing book! It takes you through the history of the Bible in such a dynamic way. The author has found a way to draw you into the story. At times, I felt as if I were sitting in the same room with these great men of the Christian faith. I could feel their passion for God's word and began to grasp the enormity of their accomplishments in a way that I never had before. Now, I really "get" the sacrifices that many of them made for my benefit, for our benefit- so that we could have the Bible in English.
I also enjoyed reading about the author's journey in finding his "treasures". I felt like I was right there with him as he made a new discovery!
In addition to the exciting stories, (which I am reading to my children) I'm pleased to have a reliable resource on the subject. My daughter is studying about the Reformation in her school, so this will be an excellent reference book.
Last, but not least, this book is so beautifully designed and photographed. It is unbelievably impressive in the number and quality of photographs and visual aids!! What an amazing Bible collection! I contacted the author and found out that his collection is on display to the public at the Dunham Bible Museum on the Houston Baptist University campus. Road Trip anyone?
I highly recommend this book to people of all ages and backgrounds. It was very readable and inspiring! You won't be able to put it down!
I never knew "history" could be so enjoyable or inspirational! October 22, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I never knew "history" could be so enjoyable or inspirational! "Visual" is an understatement with the author's original charts, stories, photos, and illustrations. Solid documentation and explanations of views varying from the author's, I believe, would even qualify this as a textbook. Textbook sounds "stuffy" but this book is far from stuffy, using the author's life experiences in his conquest to preserve the history of the English Bible. I felt this book was comprehensive, factually accurate, but uniquely entertaining! I believe the reviews of the modern translations will be quite helpful to many readers as it was to me.
Great Resource for Reference on the Bible's History October 6, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Dr. Brake's A Visual History of the English Bible, gives a clear summary of every period of the Bible since it was written. Captivating narratives bring to life the mountain-peak-persons instrumental in birthing the important periods of the Bible's history, such as Wycliffe, Luther, Tyndale and many others. Writing in a clear style, topics such as textual criticism can be clearly understood by any reader, as also in the final chapter "The People Triumph," persons will be helped in assessing what Bible translation would be best for their personal use and ministry. Abundant full-color illustrations help make the Bible's history live and you will find humor in the author's own experiences in collecting most of the Bible editions presented. Readers will be drawn into the challenges and conflicts of the Bible's history, and they will be thankful that it is so available and readable for us today.
THIS BOOK CAN SERVE AS A GREAT REFERENCE TOOL FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE GOD'S WORD AND WANT TO KEEP AVAILABLE A VERY LIVELY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE HISTORY OF HOW IT HAS COME DOWN TO US TODAY.
Have you wondered? October 6, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Have you ever wondered how we got our English Bible?
Who were the translators of the first English Bible?
When was the first English Bible translated?
Who translated the successive English Bibles?
How did they respond to questions of authority, relevance, and meaning?
What motivated them to take up quill and parchment to translate?
Why were early Bibles burned and translators martyred?
Why was the Bible a "forbidden book"?
What impact did the printing press have on Bible translation?
When did the first completed printed English Bible appear?
The King James Version has been known for many years as the "Authorized Bible". Why is it called the Authorized Bible? What was the first authorized Bible and why was it necessary?
Why did the "church" and the King attempt to destroy the printed Bible?
Did you know that Queen Mary commonly known as "Bloody Mary" was responsible for 290 deaths during her reign?
Did you know that there is a King James version known as the "she" Bible?
Many Bibles were known by unusual nicknames for the way publishers printed certain passages. Among them are the "Breeches" Bible, "Wife-beater's" Bible, "Judas" Bible, "Wicked" Bible, "Unrighteous" Bible, "Murderers" Bible, "Standing Fishes" Bible, "Wife-hater's Bible.
Why are modern translations needed?
Which translation is the best?
Why isn't one translation selected as a universal translation?
You will find the answer to these questions and many more plus other wonderful information about the history of the English Bible in a new book A Visual History of the English Bible: the Tumultuous Tale of the World's Best-Selling Book by Donald L. Brake. Baker books, 2008.
And you will be thrilled to find over 100 illustrations in this beautifully prepared and easy to read book. This book will give you a greater appreciation for your Bible. To say that I highly recommend it, is an understatement.
James F. Scott
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