God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible
Type
Book
Authors
ISBN 10
0060185163
ISBN 13
9780060185169
Category
200-299 Religion
[ Browse Items ]
Publication Year
2003
Publisher
Pages
281
Subject
Bible. -- Authorized -- History.
Tags
Abstract
"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."--Jacket.
"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."--Jacket.
Description
Publisher Comments
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 powesignalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Ages 10+
Review
"....wonderfully evokes a world we too often fragment into our categories of literature, art and politics.... [Nicolson]'s own words give us not only the rich history but a moving commemoration of the Bible that has so much shaped our utterances and lives." Kevin Sharpe, The Independent
Review
"Nicolson tells the KJV's story so well that his book may prove to be the KJV's indispensable companion for years to come." Ray Olson, Booklist
Synopsis
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
"This scrupulously elegant account of the creation of what four centuries of history has confirmed is the finest English-language work of all time, is entirely true to its subject: Adam Nicolson's lapidary prose is masterly, his measured account both as readable as the curious demand and as dignified as the story deserves." -- Simon Winchester, author of Krakatoa
In God's Secretaries, Adam Nicolson gives a fascinating and dramatic account of the era of the King James Bible and its translation, immersing us in an age whose greatest monument is not a painting or a building but a book.
A network of complex currents flowed across Jacobean England. This was the England of Shakespeare, Jonson, and Bacon; the era of the Gunpowder Plot and the worst outbreak of the plague. Jacobean England was both more godly and less godly than the country had ever been, and the entire culture was drawn taut between these 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, specifically the English language itself, had come into its first passionate maturity. The English of Jacobean England has a more encompassing idea of its own scope than any form of the language before or since. It drips with potency and sensitivity. The age, with all its conflicts, explains the book.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Synopsis
Nicolson gives a fascinating and dramatic account of the era of the King James Bible and its translation, immersing readers in an age whose greatest monument is not a painting or a building but a book. 16-page insert.
About the Author
Adam Nicolson is the author of Seamanship, Sea Room, God's Secretaries, and, most recently, Seize the Fire, about Admiral Nelson and the battle of Trafalgar. He has won both the Somerset Maugham and William Heinemann awards. The son of Nigel Nicolson and the grandson of Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, he lives with his family at Sissinghurst Castle.
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 powesignalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Ages 10+
Review
"....wonderfully evokes a world we too often fragment into our categories of literature, art and politics.... [Nicolson]'s own words give us not only the rich history but a moving commemoration of the Bible that has so much shaped our utterances and lives." Kevin Sharpe, The Independent
Review
"Nicolson tells the KJV's story so well that his book may prove to be the KJV's indispensable companion for years to come." Ray Olson, Booklist
Synopsis
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
"This scrupulously elegant account of the creation of what four centuries of history has confirmed is the finest English-language work of all time, is entirely true to its subject: Adam Nicolson's lapidary prose is masterly, his measured account both as readable as the curious demand and as dignified as the story deserves." -- Simon Winchester, author of Krakatoa
In God's Secretaries, Adam Nicolson gives a fascinating and dramatic account of the era of the King James Bible and its translation, immersing us in an age whose greatest monument is not a painting or a building but a book.
A network of complex currents flowed across Jacobean England. This was the England of Shakespeare, Jonson, and Bacon; the era of the Gunpowder Plot and the worst outbreak of the plague. Jacobean England was both more godly and less godly than the country had ever been, and the entire culture was drawn taut between these 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, specifically the English language itself, had come into its first passionate maturity. The English of Jacobean England has a more encompassing idea of its own scope than any form of the language before or since. It drips with potency and sensitivity. The age, with all its conflicts, explains the book.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Synopsis
Nicolson gives a fascinating and dramatic account of the era of the King James Bible and its translation, immersing readers in an age whose greatest monument is not a painting or a building but a book. 16-page insert.
About the Author
Adam Nicolson is the author of Seamanship, Sea Room, God's Secretaries, and, most recently, Seize the Fire, about Admiral Nelson and the battle of Trafalgar. He has won both the Somerset Maugham and William Heinemann awards. The son of Nigel Nicolson and the grandson of Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, he lives with his family at Sissinghurst Castle.
Biblio Notes
Genre/Form: History
Document Type: Book
All Authors / Contributors: Adam Nicolson
ISBN: 0060185163 9780060185169 9780060838737 0060838736
OCLC Number: 52142251
Notes: Originally published: Power and glory. Great Britain : HarperCollins, 2003.
Description: xiv, 280 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Contents: A poore man now arrived at the Land of Promise --
The multitudes of people covered the beautie of the fields --
He sate among graue, learned and reuerend men --
Faire and softly goeth far --
I am for the medium in all things --
The danger never dreamt of, that is the danger --
O lett me bosome thee, lett me preserve thee next to my heart --
We have twice and thrice so much scope for oure earthlie peregrination ... --
When we do luxuriate and grow riotous in the gallantnesse of this world --
True Religion is in no way a gargalisme only --
The grace of the fashion of it --
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut vp his tender mercies? --
The Sixteenth-century Bible --
The Six Companies of Translators.
Other Titles: Power and glory
Responsibility: Adam Nicolson.
Document Type: Book
All Authors / Contributors: Adam Nicolson
ISBN: 0060185163 9780060185169 9780060838737 0060838736
OCLC Number: 52142251
Notes: Originally published: Power and glory. Great Britain : HarperCollins, 2003.
Description: xiv, 280 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Contents: A poore man now arrived at the Land of Promise --
The multitudes of people covered the beautie of the fields --
He sate among graue, learned and reuerend men --
Faire and softly goeth far --
I am for the medium in all things --
The danger never dreamt of, that is the danger --
O lett me bosome thee, lett me preserve thee next to my heart --
We have twice and thrice so much scope for oure earthlie peregrination ... --
When we do luxuriate and grow riotous in the gallantnesse of this world --
True Religion is in no way a gargalisme only --
The grace of the fashion of it --
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut vp his tender mercies? --
The Sixteenth-century Bible --
The Six Companies of Translators.
Other Titles: Power and glory
Responsibility: Adam Nicolson.
Number of Copies
1
