Holy Bible: King James Version, 1611 Edition

What's great about this facsimile is that, unlike other KJV facsimiles which use the original font that is very hard to read, this one uses clear type that makes it easier to read and understand, while still maintaining the spelling and stylistic distinctives of the original KJV Bibles. The pages are thin, but not to the extent you worry that each turn will rip the page. As long as you aren't rough with it you should be fine. It comes with a ribbon which is useful, and it tells me this is a Bible meant to be read, not merely to be displayed. I found reading with this Bible to be highly profitable, because the "archaic" language and the style of the pages brings my mind to pay attention to what is being written, rather than ripping through pages without actually considering what you've read, which is easy to do with translations like the NIV or others like it. I also like how each chapter begins with a large "fancy" letter, which really brings the pages to life and helps break up what otherwise would be a wall of text. The only thing is that the chapters are written in Roman Numerals, which you may have to get used to if you aren't familiar with it, I being one, V being 5, X being 10, L being 50, C being 100. If a smaller numeral comes before a larger numeral, it means to subtract that amount from the one after it. So Psalm LXVII consist of 50, 10, 5, and 2, which would be Psalm 67. Psalm XCIV consists of 10, 100, 1, and 5. Because 10 comes before 100, 100 becomes 90. Because 1 comes before 5, it becomes 4, which would be Psalm 94, as some examples of how it's chapters are numbered.

The print was small, which means I need stronger glasses

I am honestly blown away by the lovely piece of history I hold in my hands when I open the 1611 KJV. It was a breakthrough for the English language and remains one of the most single influential works on our Anglo tongue. Anyone interested in English linguistics/history or Biblical studies, or anyone who wants to read the Word of God in a new and beautiful way should purchase this book. I believe it is one of, if not THE finest translation of the Greek/Hebrew texts.As with my other reviews, I rate this product on translation, aesthetics, durability, size, and price.Translation: The 1611 King James is a very accurate translation. I do not know Hebrew so I cannot comment on the Old Testament, but I hear secondhand that it is a solid and reliable translation. I do know Greek and translate parts of the New Testament, and I can say with some authority that the KJV is very accurate. Rarely is it awkward and clunky - on the whole, it is elegant and beautiful, a pleasure to read.Aesthetics: This is a beautiful book. It is a facsimile, so as far as I can tell, the editors left it unchanged, save for some introductions, glosses, etc. I believe the font is unchanged, but perhaps I'm mistaken. The non-standardized spelling has been retained and is sometimes awkward, but I became used to it rapidly, and so will anyone who reads Shakespeare or the 18th Century revision of the KJV. The layout of the pages is very attractive and the notes are incredibly helpful. The book is hardbound and on the whole, very attractive.Durability: I purchased it three months ago and have been reading it steadily. No wear or damage can be noticed. Granted, I take unusual care with books, but if you don't abuse it (turn those pages gently!) it will last for you. Be gentle.Size: This edition strikes an admirable compromise between a pocket and study Bible. It won't fit on your back pocket but neither is it the mammoth tome you see in Mass. It is a perfect casual reading size.Price: Considering all the other factors, I'm amazed the price was under thirty dollars. I would have paid almost double that for this edition. Snap it up before it's too late! Given the price restriction, I can't think of anything the publishers could do to improve their work.

God forbid that I critique the contents of the Book. I would like to share the physical attributes of this surprisingly well-made Bible.It seems that these days, books printed and bound in China exceed the quality of those printed elsewhere. There are dubious electronic products, toys and foodstuff from China, but a book is a pretty simple affair to judge. The binding is truly outstanding. The paper quality is way, way above average. The Chinese definitely have the advantage in paper quality. I applied strong shear forces to the bible and the binding remained "square". It is as tough as any pew bible.The pages are well secured to the cloth stitched binding and are in no danger of being easily torn off. The pagesare smooth and feel thicker than those of an average bible. There is little "bleed-through" of the print from the reverse page. The print is solid. Some mass-produced bibles have print which look faded.If you are going to highlight passages, only some of the yellow ink will show through on the reverse page, but it is a lot less than in most books with thin pages. The yellow highlight does not soak through and the reverse page does not get inadvertently and completely highlighted as well.The Dust Jacket spine has a bright yellow label so this bible can be identified on a shelf from a distance. I routinely put a plastic cover on my book covers because of the tropical weather and industrial pollutants where I am living in. The pages seem to accommodate humidity well and the edges do not go wavy.With the introductions and the Apocrypha, the New Testament occupies only the last one sixth of this Bible. This can be a plus or minus point depending on individual users.The Apocrypha is placed between the Old and New Testaments. The print has been modernised. This is definitely not a facsimile of the 1611 KJV in the strict sense. A true facsimile is over 17 inches tall and should have the print in the original fanciful Gothic manuscript style: beautiful, but hard to read. (any first printing KJV auctions for over $400,000) This version has Roman print.Unlike the larger and much heavier Gordon Campbell's version, it has normal white edges, while the Gordon Campbell 400th Anniversary version (from Oxford University Press and also printed in China) has gold gilt edges. Hendrickson Publishers has its own unremarkable prefaces to this bible and the Apocrypha therein.The publishers should have uploaded some sample pages on the Amazon site.This Bible handles well. It is as easy to hold as a pew bible. For a hard cover bible, it is rock solid and ready to be air-dropped into Afghanistan. This is a Bible which can see a lot of usage - as most bibles should.