A network of complex currents flowed across jacobean england. May 01, 2003 the book has 2 titles, and this may be the problem. Gods secretaries mere orthodoxy christianity, politics. Englishspeaking world more than even shakespeare is. Gods secretaries by adam nicolson is a narrative in praise of one of the most gorgeous literary achievements of the english language. Adam nicolsons riveting new book concentrates on fourteen families, from 1400 to the present day. Dec 06, 2019 according to gods secretaries author adam nicolson, the king james bible is the only great work of literature ever produced by a committee. The making of the king james bible how information is handled as i plowed through this book and as i blogged about it, i can understand how, from a certain point of view, it looks like im. There should be plenty to fill a 400 page book on gods secretaries alone.
The making of the king james bible by adam nicolson. Through it all, nicolson is engaging without being trivial and erudite without being obscure, which makes gods secretaries a must read for anyone interested in history. Adam nicolson has been both a publisher and a travel writer, and is the author of many awardwinning books, including the recent sea room, about life on the shiant isles. He was educated at eton college and magdalene college, cambridge and has worked as a journalist and columnist on the sunday times, the sunday telegraph and the daily telegraph. Preface out of many good ones, one principal good one adam nicholson in his book gods secretaries compares the result to a mosaic, or to a musical composition of extraordinary richness and resonance. Much of that process remains unknown because the documents have been lost, and what is known today had already been covered in academic publications. Adam was educated at eton and at magdalene college at cambridge, and he became a travel writer and won the somerset maugham award for frontiers, a book about a journey through eastern europe. Adam nicolson on is the author of seamanship, god s secretaries, and seize the fire. Nicolsons prose sings like a siren and his knack for opening up the story within the facts unsurpassed. He has won both the somerset maugham and william heinemann awards, and he lives with his family at sissinghurst. If you are a fan of the king james bible, you will enjoy nicolsons book.
In gods secretaries, he brings off a brilliant freehand portrait of an england more rich yet insecure, more literate yet. Adam nicolson writes a celebrated column for the sunday telegraph. This is the prejudice i held when i picked up gods secretaries to read the tale of how the king james bible came to be. Adam nicolson is the author of the bestselling new york times notable book gods secretaries. But the delights of this book were the little details. Adam nicolson takes the ingenious approach of indirectly investigating the bible through an exploration of the people, events, and society surrounding its. God s secretaries by adam nicolson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Adam nicolson s books include the new york times bestseller god s secretaries, sea room, sissinghurst, and seamanship. Adam nicolson takes the ingenious approach of indirectly investigating the bible through an exploration of the people, events, and society surrounding its formation. Adam nicolson is the son of writer nigel nicolson and grandson of the writers vita sackvillewest and sir harold nicolson. Adam nicolsons recreation of this context is beyond praise. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. The second title, the actual making of the kjv, gets short shrift in favor of a third topic which is england in the early period of. Both an enduring work of scholarship and a fascinating read, whose bible is it.
Adam nicolson audio books, best sellers, author bio. I concur with that, and might go a little further its the only great work of any kind ever produced by a committee. Gwen ifill talks to adam nicolson about his book god s secretaries, an indepth look at the work that went into translating the king james bible. He was born in 1957, the son of the author nigel nicolson and grandson of harold nicolson and vita sackvillewest. One of the most amazing works of english prose ever produced, the king james bible was. He has won both the somerset maugham and william heinemann awards, and he lives with his family at sissinghurst castle in england. Gods secretaries the making of the king james bible by. He is winner of the somerset maugham award and the british topography prize and lives on a farm in sussex. The king james bible remains the most influential bible translation of all time. God s secretaries the making of the king james bible. God s secretaries a net of complex currents flowed across jacobean england. The virtues we may all believe to be part of the english culture honesty, affability, courtesy, liberality each of these has their source in gentry life cultivated over five hundred years. Gods secretaries adam nicolson 2 stars gods secretaries adam nicolson 2 stars. Adam nicolson, 5th baron carnock, frsl, fsa born 12 september 1957 is an english author who has written about history, landscape, great literature and the sea he is noted for his books sea room about the shiant isles, a group of uninhabited islands in the hebrides.
He was educated at eton and magdalene college, cambridge. The making of the king james bible, i have a deepened appreciation for the majesty, the richness, the musicality, and the exactness of this beloved english translation of. Mar 31, 2014 author adam nicolson discusses his landmark new book, gods secretaries. A net of complex currents flowed across jacobean england. Possible clean exlibrary copy, with their stickers and or stamps. Adam nicolson is better known for sea room and nature writing but what a. Gods secretaries 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. Adam nicolsons most popular book is gods secretaries. Part of the university of toronto bookstore reading series. Elizabeth i, queen of england has finally died in her querulous old age. The making of the king james bible 2003 is not actually a playbyplay description of the process of creating this biblical translation.
This book is about the creation of the king james bible, but has some interesting insights on authority, ecclesiology. Adam nicolson is a prizewinning writer of many books on history and nature, including sea room, the new york times bestseller god s secretaries, and the acclaimed why homer matters. Jun 26, 2007 nicolsons work contains illuminating comparisons of our own era and language to the era of the king james bible, comparisons that are as thoughtful as they are wistful. It was a product of jacobean england, an era that also gave us shakespeare. Jul 01, 2006 thinking of your experience with, how likely are you to recommend to a friend or colleague. Dive deep into adam nicolson s god s secretaries with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. This book is about the creation of the king james bible, but has some interesting insights on authority, ecclesiology, and history. Hes in his late forties, cleanshaven, with receding gray hair. Few primary sources remain to give a glimpse into the formation of one of the most famous pieces of prose in the english language. The making of the king james bible audiobook by adam nicolson. Adam nicolson stands behind a small podium in a library and addresses an unseen audience. He lives on a farm with his family near burwash, england. In seize the fire, adam nicolson, author of the widely acclaimed gods secretaries, takes the great naval battle of trafalgar, fought between the british and francospanish fleets in october 1805, and uses it to examine our idea of heroism and the heroic.
After reading adam nicolso ns book, gods secretaries. We get glimpses of a few personalities and some interesting asides here and there on historical figures. Adam nicolson introduces his book gods secretaries. God s secretaries by adam nicolson is a narrative in praise of one of the most gorgeous literary achievements of the english language. Adam nicolson is the author of seamanship, gods secretaries, and seize the fire. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. His books include sissinghurst, gods secretaries, when god spoke english, wetland, life in the somerset levels, perch hill, restoration, and the acclaimed gentry. Adam nicolsons book gods secretaries is about the makers of the king james bible. Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our pro connect email alert. Author adam nicolson discusses his landmark new book, gods secretaries. Adam nicolson has 47 books on goodreads with 17834 ratings. Jacobean england was both more godly and less godly than it had ever been, and the entire culture was.
Adam nicols on is the author of seamanship, gods secretaries, and seize the fire. The making of the king james bible by adam nicolson at indigo. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of gods secretaries by adam nicolson. It has been said that a camel is a horse designed by a.
Nonfiction returns us to the pleasures of the classroom and refreshes our stock of. Adam nicolsons most popular book is god s secretaries. According to gods secretaries author adam nicolson, the king james bible is the only great work of literature ever produced by a committee. In the mideighties, nicolson founded toucan books, and he has also done journalism at a number of publications.
Review of adam nicolsons gods secretaries by henry. After reading adam nicolsons book, god s secretaries. Why homer matters by adam nicolson, john lee, audio cd. In god s secretaries, adam nicolson gives a fascinating and dramatic account of the accession and ambition of the first stuart king. Gods secretaries 2001, a work of religious literary history by english author adam nicolson, focuses on jacobean english society during the development of the king james bible, which was the product of more than 50 translators who worked. Adam nicolson on his book gods secretaries oct 02, 2004. The making of the king james bible by nicolson, adam and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. British travel writer nicolson sea room, 2002, etc. The making of the king james bible, i have a deepened appreciation for the majesty, the richness, the musicality, and the exactness of this beloved english translation of the bible.
Very minimal writing or notations in margins not affecting the text. The making of the king james bible, brad windhauser, king james bible. It is a successful account of how diverse personalities, european history, and. Aug 02, 2005 god s secretaries by adam nicolson is a narrative in praise of one of the most gorgeous literary achievements of the english language. Gods secretaries explains how a work so closely tied to a particular time and place can become a classic piece of literature. Be the first to ask a question about gods secretaries.
Adam nicolson writes books on history and the landscape. He is winner of the royal society of literature s ondaatje prize, the somerset maugham award, the w. Jun 23, 2008 i was taught that the kjv was an inferior translation because it was derived from earlier translations instead of the latin and greek texts. Adam nicolson introduces his book god s secretaries. Hes wearing a gray suit, white shirt, and striped tie. Needless to say, i am less ignorant now that i have read nicolsons book. Nicolson gives us more a history of the time from which the king james bible emerged. The truth is that the kjv is good enough for any english speaker, more majestic than any other version, and that it is a foundation of the englishspeaking world more than even shakespeare is. In brief, this is a book worth your time for a good read. Sep 04, 2005 its how adam nicolsons last book, gods secretaries. Dominic silla it have often heard it said that the king james version of the english bible is the version that created the modern english language. Bestselling and awardwinning writer adam nicolson tells the story, almost day by day, of the year in the late 1790s that coleridge, wordsworth, his sister dorothy and an evershifting cast of friends, dependents and acolytes spent together in the quantock hills in somerset. What luthers german translation did for the german language, the kjv did for the english. It is a popular book as popular books used to be, a breeze rather than a scholarly sweat, but humanely erudite, elegantly written, passionately felt, and jauntily unfootnoted alas.
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