Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 7 April 2011.
Melvyn Bragg places the Bible in context, giving us the background, the battle between Latin and “coarse” English, the story of the men who battled to translate the bible for everyman and the final development into the King James Bible. Once made its influence too is tracked, through war, religious divide and personal freedoms. As Melvyn Bragg says, you may be religious, of another religion or none, but undeniably this story of the making of the King James Bible and its influence is a history well-worth reading.
The Book of Books : The Radical Impact of the King James Bible 1611-2011 Synopsis
The King James Bible has often been called the Book of Books both in itself and in what it stands for. Since its publication in 1611 it has been the best selling book in the world, and many believe, had the greatest impact. The King James Bible has spread the Protestant faith. It has also been the greatest influence on the enrichment of the English language and its literature. It has been the Bible of wars from the British Civil War in the seventeenth century to the American Civil War two centuries later and it has been carried into battle in innumerable conflicts since then. Its influence on social movements -- particularly involving women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries - and politics was profound. It was crucial to the growth of democracy. It was integral to the abolition of slavery and it defined attitudes to modern science, education and sex.
'Melvyn Bragg's superb new history of the English language is told as an adventure story, and rightly so. There is much splendid intellectual firepower in this book.' Andrew Roberts, Spectator on The Adventure of English
'Concise as well as learned...Melvyn Bragg takes the high road and strides confidently through the origins and growth of English. It gives us an impressive and sage view of the big picture.' Robert Winder, New Statesman on The Adventure of English
'Bragg is an expert translator in areas that academics find difficult to popularise...he produces a pithy, accessible narrative.' Guardian on The Adventure of English
'This breathless tale of the English language is one of struggle, resilience and triumph' Irish Times on The Adventure of English
Author
About Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg is a writer and broadcaster. His novels include The Hired Man, for which he won the Time/Life Silver Pen Award, Without a City Wall, winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, The Soldier's Return, winner of the WHSmith Literary Award, A Son of War and Crossing the Lines, both of which were longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, A Place in England, which was longlisted for the Lost Man Booker Prize, and most recently Grace and Mary. He has also written several works of non-fiction, the most recent being The Book of Books about the King James Bible. He lives in London and Cumbria.
