The Book of Books

September 15, 2011

While much has been written in recognition of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), this is a welcome addition, especially for readers new to learning the KJV's history. Bragg (The Adventure of English), most famous in Britain as host of The South Bank Show on television, focuses on the 400-year impact of the book in such areas as language, literature, politics, and social movements. He argues that the KJV is one of the most significant books ever written in English. This is hardly a new pronouncement, but Bragg writes accessibly, with a gift for storytelling and an engaging style. His book has three sections covering periods of time as well as of impact: "From Hampton Court to New England," "Impact on Culture," and "Impact on Society." Bragg is not a New Testament or church history scholar, and he does not focus on the KJV as a sacred book. VERDICT The general reader with an interest in the overlapping nature of history, literature, and religion and in the impact one book can have will appreciate this title. Recommended.--John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ., TX

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2011
Among the readers celebrating the publication 400 years ago of the King James Version of the Bible, Bragg stands out. As a secular-minded historian, he rejects the KJV's majestic witness for Christ's divinity, yet he still greatly values the book for its impact on the human worlds of culture and politics. To be sure, Bragg teaches his readers a good deal about the religious convictions of the remarkable menWilliam Tyndale, above allwho sacrificed much to give the English-speaking laity a mellifluous translation of Christianity's sacred text. But Bragg regards such metaphysical convictions and the religious controversies they kindled with objective detachment. Authorial passions emerge only when the focus shifts to this-worldly concerns. In secular literature, for instance, Bragg discerns the fructifying influence of the KJV in Defoe, Austin, and Dickens; Hawthorne, Melville, and Fitzgerald. Bragg's appreciation for the KJV burns even brighter as he traces its galvanizing influence in the lives of political activists fighting slavery, championing democracy, and advocating women's rights. Upbraiding his fellow unbeliever Richard Dawkins, Bragg defends this holy book against the New Atheist assault, limning the social and psychological benefits of scripture. A potent reminder of how the KJV has inspired daring thoughts in and out of the pews.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)