A net of complex currents flowed across Jacobean England. This was the England of Shakespeare; Jonson and Bacon; of the Gunpowder Plot; the worst outbreak of the plague England had ever seen; Arcadian landscapes; murderous; toxic slums; and; above all; of sometimes overwhelming religious passion. Jacobean England was both more godly and less godly than it had ever been; and the entire culture was drawn taut between the polarities.This was the world that created the King James Bible. It is the greatest work of English prose ever written; and it is no coincidence that the translation was made at the moment “Englishness†and the English language had come into its first passionate maturity. Boisterous; elegant; subtle; majestic; finely nuanced; sonorous and musical; the English of Jacobean England has a more encompassing idea of its own reach and scope than any before or since. It is a form of the language that drips with potency and sensitivity. The age; with all its conflicts; explains the book.The sponsor and guide of the whole Bible project was the King himself; the brilliant; ugly and profoundly peace-loving James the Sixth of Scotland and First of England. Trained almost from birth to manage the rivalries of political factions at home; James saw in England the chance for a sort of irenic Eden over which the new translation of the Bible was to preside. It was to be a Bible for everyone; and as God's lieutenant on earth; he would use it to unify his kingdom. The dream of Jacobean peace; guaranteed by an elision of royal power and divine glory; lies behind a Bible of extraordinary grace and everlasting literary power.About fifty scholars from Cambridge; Oxford and London did the work; drawing on many previous versions; and created a text which; for all its failings; has never been equaled. That is the central question of this book: How did this group of near-anonymous divines; muddled; drunk; self-serving; ambitious; ruthless; obsequious; pedantic and flawed as they were; manage to bring off this astonishing translation? How did such ordinary men make such extraordinary prose? In God's Secretaries; Adam Nicolson gives a fascinating and dramatic account of the accession and ambition of the first Stuart king; of the scholars who labored for seven years to create his Bible; of the influences that shaped their work and of the beliefs that colored their world; immersing us in an age whose greatest monument is not a painting or a building; but a book.
#584630 in Books 1993-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.53 x 6.42 x 1.43l; #File Name: 0060168102394 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Timeless and ImportantBy Husker005In 1858; Abraham Lincoln attempted to persaude the Illinois' State Assembly to select him to the United States Senate over the incumbent and powerful Steven A. Douglas by engaging Douglas in seven open air debates. The fact that Douglas agreed to these debates is somewhat of a mystery since he was already well-known and well-admired in Illinois. Giving Lincoln a forum in which was on the same stage a Douglas would likely enhance Lincoln's political stature but would not necessarily benefit Douglas. Nonetheless; Douglas agreed to seven debates and each was dramatic. The theme central to all seven was the issue of slavery and whether the Federal government should ban it; limit it or stay out of the issue and let the states themselves decide. Neither pursauded the other but Douglas; a pro-slavery advocate; apparently did enough to get elected by the Illinois State Assembly (US Senators at that time were still elected by their respective State Legislators). Lincoln; however; made the case; repeatedly for Man's inalienable; God given right to be free. Lincoln's message; as history demonstrated; eventually carried the day with his Party and the American electorate. His message rings true today.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful resourceBy concordia25I enjoyed reading through these debates immensely. So much so that I completed them in one sitting; which is a rare occurrence considering the books length. I've only recent begun to have a rather intense interest in President Lincoln; and believe these debates (even if you only read the edited ones) are fundamental to getting to know the man as a politician and how he reasoned. Even though these are said to be the most "base" versions of the debates; considering they are accounts given by the opposition; i found them intellectually challenging and overall stimulating. Many of the issues they cover are still being debated; even if we've changed the way we argue. I highly suggest these to any history buffs; and especially any who are attempting to study Lincoln himself.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A real feel for the atmosphereBy MARI enjoyed reading this book very much. We get the lead-up to each debate with current events how each candidate arrived. The mood of the crowd as was reported at the time. And the complete texts of the debates as reported by both "partisan" newspapers of the times. Decide for yourself. The differences are minor.
