Book cover of When God Spoke English: The Making of the King James Bible

Book description

A fascinating, lively account of the making of the King James Bible.

James VI of Scotland - now James I of England - came into his new kingdom in 1603. Trained almost from birth to manage rival political factions, he was determined not only to hold his throne, but to…

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Why read it?

1 author picked When God Spoke English as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I live in Scotland, and this book helped me understand its extraordinary history.

Many Scots seek freedom from England, and how the bond was forged is a very current question. Partial answers lie with James VI of Scotland inheriting the crown of England in 1603. Both countries had religious factions, and James commissioned a new Bible to unite the faiths.

This book tells how his translators struck sparks off each other as they crafted every verse. Made during a great flowering of English, the new Bible raised the language to sublime heights. But hard men pushed the peace project into…

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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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