NKJV Large Print Ultrathin Reference Bible, Black Genuine Leather Leather Bound – Large Print, September 18, 1996

The absolute best preaching Bible. Its most important feature (to me) is that it's smythe sewn, meaning it'll stay open no matter WHERE it's open (even on Genesis 1 or Revelation 22), and that means it's easily held open with one hand and won't blow closed by the air conditioning vents. While it's debated whether sewn Bibles really last longer than a well-glued Bible, it is a fact that sewn Bibles can be rebound without losing considerable inside margin space, unlike what happens when you try to rebind a glued Bible--you lose half your notes!The inclusion of center column cross references are extremely important in my consideration for a preaching Bible. There is room there to add a few more of your own.The genuine leather cover is also very important, as sweaty hands will quickly ruin even the best bonded leather. Unlike Holman's smaller counterpart Bible (ISBN 1558194371), there is elegant gold trim on the inside perimeter of this cover. I miss the days when Bibles had "Holy Bible" printed on the front, but oh well, this one doesn't have "Holy Bible" on the front; they are printed on the spine. Except for the words "Holy Bible" on the spine which are at the very top, the other gold lettering and bars on the spine in the middle and bottom has pretty much all worn off due to constant use of only a few years.Being as thin as it is, this Bible reduces potential fatigue (and slipping out of my hand) when holding in one hand for extended periods of time.The inside margin space for notes is about 12 mm, which is adequate, but not luxurious.Unlike Thomas Nelson's (ISBN 0785202285) faint red letters, the red letters of this Bible are just as bright and heavy and legible as the black print, which is important for reading under low-lighted conditions or when there are stage lights on you.The verse-format, as opposed to paragraph format in other Bibles, is ideal for quickly finding a verse. The first verse number for each paragraph is bold, and there is a non-bold header above each paragraph. The headers appear to be the same font size as the Text, making them appropriately discreet at a glance and non-distracting.The premium acid-free paper holds up to note jotting with a mechanical pencil, and the gold gilded edges help to prevent tearing. Compared with Thomas Nelson's (ISBN 0785202285), the paper of this Bible is much whiter (whiter than snow!). I think Nelson's whitish paper is pleasant, but Holman's bright-white paper is not bad either. It is relatively non-reflective and so there is no distracting glare when reading under bright/fluorescent lamps. I guess the whitness of the paper actually increases legibility--the bottom line.Included are 8 color maps. A diagram of the Tabernacle would have been nice, but it's not included. It appears there would have been room enough to include a diagram of the Taberncle, but alas, it's not there. And surprisingly, Holman's SMALLER counterpart Bible cited above (ISBN 1558194371) actually DOES include a diagram of the Tabernacle.Book introductions are concise--about 15 lines of text each, spanning two columns.The concordance is not bad, but has not always been as helpful as I'd like. In my experience, when it comes to Bible concordances, Zondervan's seem to be most helpful.The Harmony of the Gospels is placed after Revelation and before the concordance. A list of parables and miracles would have been nice to include, but they're not there. Thomas Nelson's (ISBN 0785202285) has the same layout--Harmony of the Gospels and concordance; no list of parables or miracles either.There's one ribbon (black) which does not fray easily under constant use. (It's the zipper on Bible case covers which destroy ribbons.)I appreciate the fact that this Bible, like Holman's other Bibles, has the ISBN on the inside (the copyright page). Not only do they include the ISBN for that particular Bible, but for other similar ones (i.e., bonded, indexed, burgundy, etc.). This makes locating, reordering, cataloging, etc., much easier. For some reason, Thomas Nelson does not tend to print the ISBN in their Bibles.This Bible includes a presentation page and a few other special information pages at the front.Last but not least, the price is right. I have yet to see a Bible of this caliber at this price. I certainly wouldn't want to have to replace a Thomas Nelson Signature Series Bible too often!

The NKJV is based on the textus receptus, readable, trustworthy, faithful to the original text, similar in poetic cadence to the KJV, and very suitable for memorization and ministering. If you want a modern version cleaner for sharing with this generation than the KJV, the NKJV is the way to go.For old schoolers the layout of this Bible is very pleasing: Red Letter, dark font on both black letters and red, center column cross references, decent size print, compact, with book introductions, and a small-servicable concordance.The maps leave a lot to be desired and after owning 10 of these I note that after about 3 years the bindings crack at the point where the maps start. This is not such a terrible thing for any book that gets used daily and is transported in all weather conditions outside the home.I am ordering two more now to have one on file for replacement in a few years. The NKJV market in large print and format of this type is rare and becoming even harder to replace. Broadman and Holman still offer it, but Thomas Nelson pretty much own the rights, so I dont know how much longer this version will be available.My only suggestion would be that BH manufacture an uber version of this text: Like the Thomas Nelson Signature Series Bibles; fine leather and uprgaded paper. I would definitely buy that Bible. Unfortunately for true Bible lovers, the NKJV does not appear to being treated very well by its translation stewards right now. Why NKJV stewards insist on following the ultra small print trend in Bibles is beyond me. Profits on all Bibles appears to have replaced the old conviction that providing the word of God to God's people is a sacred trust.

I have had this for a couple years now. I bought it because I was looking for a thinner Bible in NKJV that I could carry around with me to church, put it in my laptop bag, or car, without having to lug around my 2-inch thick Nelson study bible. I had looked around at some others, but the only ones I could find for ultrathin reference bibles with large print were the $100+ Nelson Signature and Pitt Minions, until I stumbled across the Broadman and Holman Ultrathin Reference Bible.I wasn't looking for anything really specific, but I did want a leather binding that was smythe-sewn (not glued), a concordance, and cross references. I had read other reviews about it, and decided to buy one based on the fact it was really thin (a hair over an inch), full-size, had cross references, large print (size 10), and a leather cover. Some reviewers had said this had a sewn binding, but when I got it, I found out that it was glued. Not really a big deal though as the binding has held up great.It didn't take long to figure out that this is a quality Bible. The glue job on the binding is very good with no peeling or hints of separation. It is also genuine leather that has an interesting high gloss finish (glossier than any other Bible I've come across). The binding seemed stiff, but it is flexible and has become more flexible over time.Inside it's the NKJV, which is my preferred translation. You get short book introductions, center column cross references, harmony of the gospels, and a generous concordance (66 pages). There's also presentation, marriage, special event, and death pages in the front, and 6 color maps in the back that were very nicely done. The font is nice and big (10-point), and I didn't have any trouble reading it.I really enjoy this Bible. It's thin, lightweight, the font is nice and big, and the binding is nice (if unusual). You get all the standard content inside with well-executed center column references.