Aptly edited by the collective efforts of T.M. Charles-Edwards, Morfydd M. Owen, and Paul Russell, The Welsh King And His Court is a massive compendium of essays filled with meticulous discourse of the Welsh royal household and the governmental roles of those officers charged with upkeep of horses, sleeping quarters, meals, etc. Primary source texts are presented in English translation, and the essays are written at a college reading level. The Welsh King And His Court is a scholarly text that combines deep thought with multi-level analysis of historical politics. An intriguing and recommended historical study, with a very helpful glossary, abbreviation list and index.

Harry Cohn willed Columbia Pictures to become a major Hollywood studio, arising Phoenix like out of the muck of "Poverty Row" mediocrity in the Thirties by producing some of the Silver Screen's great triumphs. Columbia films won 52 Academy Awards during King Cohn's reign including Best Picture Oscars for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, ALL THE KING'S MEN, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, ON THE WATERFRONT and BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.

Cohn, a transplanted New Yorker born to immigrant parents, was the quinessential Runyonesque character--crude, commanding, ruthless but possessing a "heart of gold" beneath the tough veneer. He was the inspiration for Willie Stark in ALL THE KING'S MEN and Harry Brock in BORN YESTERDAY. Cohn played the role of mogul as tough guy to the hilt.

Veteran entertainment journalist, biographer and Hollywood observor Bob Thomas recreates the man and his times with a lively anecdotal prose style and an insider's eye that discerns between the real and the hype.

Cohn has long endured a bad rap hung on him by the "creative community" that passed through Columbia's portals and over which he often rode roughshod. Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Stevens, Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Glen Ford and many, many others bemoaned Cohn's crassness, tyrannical interference and bullying ways but did their best work under his "oppressive," "untutored" and "uncouth" dominion.

Columbia, under Cohn's supervision and control, invented the screwball comedy, perhaps the American cinema's most significant contribution during The Great Depression, and remained the pre-eminent producer of this genre until the outbreak of World War II.

Cohn understood and felt a kindredness with his plebian audience that many of his patrician "creative" employees did not. Thomas' excellent biography goes a long way toward rehabilitating the "Ogre of Gower Gulch" with those who believed Cohn to be the undeserving and unappreciative beneficiary of Frank Capra's genius.

This updated version of Bob Thomas's biography of Columbia studio chief Harry Cohn is very enjoyable reading. Since its original publication, anonymous sources have come forward and new facts and anecdotes have been incorporated. The brusque, outspoken Cohn appears to have been only concerned with Columbia's most important productions, and Thomas's text reflects this bias. If you're looking for details about Columbia's bread-and-butter product, including its popular "B" pictures, westerns, short subjects, serials, and cartoons, you won't find anything here, and even some of the studio's "A" pictures receive only passing mention. Thomas keeps the spotlight on the colorful Cohn, with some incredible stories and quotes. A great read for movie buffs.

"I am the king here. Whoever eats my bread sings my song". (Harry Cohn).

"I don't have ulcers - I give them". (Harry Cohn).

"I kiss the feet of talent". (Harry Cohn).

This is a marvellous and outstanding book that everyone with an interest in Hollywood should read. Once started it is hard to put down! Harry Cohn was the notorious head of Columbia Pictures from 1924 until his death in 1958. It is a remarkable story of the former song plugger who became the feared chief executive of Columbia Pictures during the "Golden Years of Hollywood". Harry Cohn was a very reclusive man who seldom gave interviews so Bob Thomas has done an exceptional job in putting together this account of Cohn's life. He put in hours of efficient research for this book and spoke with many people who knew Cohn and the stars and directors who worked for him.

Harry Cohn's brother Jack was the first to go into the film business but Harry soon joined him. Jack was based in New York dealing with the business and financial side and Harry was in charge of film production in Hollywood. There was no love lost between the two brothers and they were constantly arguing with each other. Columbia could not compete on an equal footing with the other major studios such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox and initially made cheap westerns and second features to begin with but Cohn was ambitious and wanted to produce more prestigious films. His luck changed when he had the enormous good fortune to persuade director Frank Capra to join Columbia who made a series of first rate quality films for the studio. The Capra films were box office successes (and Oscar winners) and brought in the much needed dollars to expand the studio and purchase important screenplays, and hire other talented writers and directors etc. The name of Columbia then became recognised and its films obtained a wider audience.

Columbia did not have a large roster of stars under contract like the major studios so they had to discover new talent and develop their own stars. One of Harry Cohn's discoveries was a dancer named Margarita Cansino - he cast her in a few Columbia features and loaned her out to other studios and then the big build up started. Cohn decided her name should be changed so she became Rita Hayworth and went on to become one of Columbia's top stars.

Columbia's biggest box office success in the 40's was the biographical musical "The Jolson Story". This was not an easy film to get off the ground as the New York office were convinced that Jolson was a "has been" whose career was finished and that the American public would not be interested to see a film about his life. Another problem was the casting - James Cagney and Danny Thomas both turned down the leading role and other actors were considered including Jose Ferrer and Richard Conte. Jolson desperately wanted to play himself in the film but in his 60's was obviously too old. The eventual casting of Larry Parks in the role of Jolson was a masterstroke - he was absolutely brilliant - in fact we can't now imagine anyone else doing it as he is so identified with the two Jolson films.

In 1949 Marilyn Monroe was signed to a contract at Columbia for $175 a week. She appeared in a B picture called "Ladies of the Chorus" but when her six months contract was up Harry Cohn ordered her to be dropped - "She can't act", he said. Some of his associates at Columbia never allowed Cohn to forget he had dismissed Marilyn Monroe who as we all know went on to become a major Hollywood star!!

Harry Cohn was responsible for creating another star at Columbia when he signed Kim Novak to a contract. He tried her out in small budget pictures such as "Pushover", "Phffft", and "Five Against the House". Cohn was not initially impressed by her acting but she did well enough in these films for him to agree to cast her in a major production with top stars - "Picnic" - featuring William Holden, Rosalind Russell and Cliff Robertson. "Picnic" established Kim Novak as a star and she went on to make several other successful films.

The 50's brought even more success to Columbia with films such as "Born Yesterday" (1950) which won the Best Actress Oscar for Judy Holliday. Even more popular was "From Here to Eternity" (1953) which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven other awards. ("Eternity" became the biggest money maker in Columbia's history and Harry Cohn was very proud of the film). "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) was another Columbia success winning the Best Picture award and six other Oscars.

To sum up "King Cohn" is a marvellous book, full of interesting anecdotes about the stars and "behind the scenes" information what it was like to be in charge of a busy Hollywood studio and with such a fantastic character as Harry Cohn running things there are many wonderful stories to tell. Harry Cohn had the reputation of being something of a monster and tyrant at the studio but this book reveals that he did many kind acts often helping out his employees and stars when they were in financial trouble (sometimes giving them substantial amounts of money) and visiting friends who were in hospital. He enjoyed his image as a tough boss and did not want these stories to be publicised. "King Cohn" is a fascinating read. Buy it - you will enjoy every chapter!

Here is a Bible for serious study and/or devotion. The devotional quality is achieved primarily through the tone of the copious and scholarly notes, which are reverent, main stream, and remarkably non-intrusive. I have a number of other study Bibles, and have generally found them lacking.

I appreciate the lofty literary style of the King James (Authorized) version, and wanted to try the New King James (NKJV). I have spent hours comparing the two versions. The poetic books are almost unchanged except for long obsolete words, pronouns and inflectional verb endings. The meter is unchanged. Other books have been further updated with modern sentence structure where it is most needed. The result still sounds magnificent and timeless, and glows like a freshly restored work of art.

The Nelson SB contains a remarkably comprehensive concordance which contains proper nouns and describes them within the concordance listing. Thus the concordance can also be regarded as a Bible dictionary.

There are eight pages of color maps in the rear. I would have liked a color map showing the twelve tribes at the time of the judges (after Joshua's conquest of Canaan), but the intext maps show this very nicely, so this is a quibble.

Nelson's SB is most remarkable for its highly tailored, complete and accurate annotations, which can only have been achieved through a devotion to the work and a lot of toil. This book is quite evidently a labor of love, and this, more than any other quality ranks it as the finest SB I've encountered.

I received the black bonded leather edition. Its Gold stamped quality leather cover and gold edged paper, as well as the overall high quality of workmanship make this book a delight to the senses. A real treasure all 'round.

I was using an NRSV Life Application Bible, which I was pleased with, but wanted something with more depth to the comments. I looked over several study Bibles (Ryrie, New Oxford, NIV Study...), and felt the Nelson was the best by far. Cross refs. are relevant, and the on page comments are the best I've seen - they go into great depth and deal with the heart of the matter. The 200 page concordance is also a plus, as are other features. I wasn't sure about the NKJV (only choice), but took a closer look and am very pleased.

I'm not a Christian but decided to purchase a bible to get this classic work under my belt. I wanted a study version though so I could get through the tougher parts without being baffled at the language or meanings. I purchased the Nelson version after reading many positive reviews and feel I made a great choice! Understandably, you need to be careful with study bibles in case you begin to adopt the editors' slant on things, but from what I can tell the Nelson team has done a fine job of retaining the integrity of the NKJV translation in their commentaries.

I'm still on the Old Testament (2 Kings right now) and I've throughly enjoyed most every single chapter so far. Thanks to the well-written and not-too-long commentaries on many verses it's easy to comprehend the significance of the passages and understand some of the ancient practices prevalent at the time.

Great maps in-text and at the back, helpful tables of dates and events, thorough cross-referencing, definitions of especially meaningful words in the Hebrew context, as well as in-text discussions of major concepts make this a definitive study bible for any NKJV reader and also as a reference work.

Strong's is a good reference to words in the Bible. Every word in the Bible is indexed. Also includes Hebrew and Greek dictionaries that have some very good information on derivations. If you are a student of Greek or Hebrew as I am, I can tell you that having these derivations is a great aid in memorizing vocabulary, which is the hardest part of language learning for me. Anything that can make it easier is a great blessing.

It is also very useful for the general student of the Bible. It provides definitions and cross-references of all word usages. The only thing that's a little hard to use is the "little words" listing - words like "the", "in", etc. They are listed separately, and that was done because of space reasons. My only gripe is in some of the words they included in this list, for example, "in". As a preposition I would consider that to be a pretty important word, and to relegate it to the hard-to-use brief index rather than the easy-to-use main concordance makes it much more difficult on us.

The other thing is that serious students of Greek and Hebrew will want to have a more scholarly reference. Strong's is not considered really scholarly by many, and I must admit that they do things that I wish they wouldn't (for example, they don't differentiate between different forms of words, they jump lump them all together). Serious students of the original languages will want something more. But, note that I say "in addition to": I still like Strong's since it's classic, and is helpful to me in general Bible study as well as detailed language study.

For the price (or even price-per-pound: this sucker weighs a ton!), it is an outstanding value.

This is a great tool for those who ever wonder about some of the strange translations from the Bible. One can truly see the rabbinical claim that there is another "language of the mysteries of God" woven in with Hebrew; thanks to the Strong's. Ever wonder why it says God, a perfect being, repents? [Ex. 32:14] Ever wonder why God, an all-powerful being, "rested" on the seventh day of creation? [Gen. 2:2] Strong's concordance helps the serious Bible student see what the original translators might have intended to write. This is a definite must-buy for people of all Christian religions and creeds.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is a "must have" reference for the serious student of the Bible. The Fan-Tab ™ Thumb-index system makes this an easy to use reference to locate any word or topic in God's Word. The addition of the Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary sheds new light on God's word by giving accurate meaning to the original text.

This book is a very fun read. The various characters, especially coyote and the four elders, are wonderful, as are the four framing creation stories. King can deal with very serious matters and still be hilarious, and his use of joke names for some of his characters is wittily done (i.e. there is a Joseph Hovaugh -- je hova). My only problem with the work lies in a feeling of being left out -- I was somehow given the sense that I would understand the book more if I were Native, even though I am passably well versed in the mythologies the story deals with. Some of the understandings gained by the characters seem culturally specific, in a way, a feeling which I did not get from King's "Medicine River."

This kind of book I had never read before. I liked the way King tries to tell you something about Native American culture without getting boring. Actually my stomache cramped from the laughing after almost every 2 pages. On the other hand the book is not only comic but it has also its serious side. The book deals with native american families who have to find out for themselves who they are and what their culture means to them. I can advise evryone to read this book and if you don't like it, go see a doctor or something!

... I'd make them all read this book. I discovered it in my Native American Fiction class during my senior year at Yale, and in my four years as a literature major, I'd never read anything better. Thomas King is a genius. He is also, according to my professor, a man-- a fact that my entirely female class refused to believe after reading the brilliantly satirical reworkings of phallocentric myths and legends that he intersperses throughout the book. His characters are hilariously and achingly real; his prose transcends the written word in its effortless use of oral storytelling methods. If you're still reading my stumbling attempts to convey the brilliance of this book, please stop immediately and buy it. Buy a few copies, because you'll want to share this with your friends, and they won't want to give it back.

This intricately woven novel is a modern masterpiece. Although I showed the movie (starring Graham Greene as Will) in my class this semester, most of my students clamored to read the book as well, and as a result got a fuller experience for having done so. King is able to say so very much about the nature of human beings while at the same time adds the touch of humor that seems to be so lacking in most modern novels with something to say. I have read this book at least five times, and have purchased more than six copies--I keep lending them to friends or giving them as gifts. Read Thomas King--a clear, welcome voice for the new millenium.

This title was my second foray into the realm of King's writing, and I found it to be as rewarding as the first (his latest novel, Truth and Bright Water - another superb read).

Medicine River is the story of Will and his best friend Harlen, and a cast of other lovable, hilarious characters as they go about their day-to-day life. There is intrigue and gossip, speculation and antics, all true to form for any typical nuclear community. The book's dialogue is superb - and laugh-out-loud funny. The reader will embrace Harlen's quirky views with glee and will sigh right along with Will, as he diligently works to get Harlen around to the punchline. Wonderful exchanges.

King has an incredible gift - it's that of showcasing the heartbreak of life against the backdrop of humour, and he does it with style, class, and ingenuity. He continues this fine tradition in Medicine River. The plight and struggle of the Native community is seen through Will's recollections of growing up fatherless. He spells out the hardships his mother endured while trying to raise him and his younger brother on her own. The story of many souls across the land, and King - through Will - has done a class act job portraying the depths of experience. The healing balm in Thomas's writings is, of course, laughter and humour, and you'll get lots of that in this novel.

The New York Times said of this book, "Precise and elegant... a most satisfying read." I'm in full agreement. An excellent book and worthy of a spot of your bookshelf. I highly recommend it.

While there was no main struggle that the main character must overcome, as is the typical structure of a novel, this book was enjoyable and very well-written. A light-hearted adventure of Will that will leave you pondering but in a good mood.

This book was about how King Arthur's life supposedly was. He was born after King Uther tricked an enemy duke's wife into thinking that Uther was her husband. That child was given to Merlin, and he was un-christened, and was given to Sir Ector. He became a squire at his new home and had a bigger stepbrother to help. When the sword in the stone appeared, all the knights and noblemen around England appeared to try and pull it out, since the person who pulls out the sword in the stone is supposedly the king of all England. Throughout his life he encountered many people like Sir Lancelot of the Lake, who fell in love with his beloved wife, Guinevere, and also gave birth to a child with his half-sister when she disguised herself. He would later become a legend for all the things he had done during his life.

I read this book because I watched the movie from Disney called "The Sword in the Stone." It sparked my interest of knights and I was fascinated with the Middle Ages ever since. Then when I went to the library, this book was the only one about King Arthur that wasn't checked out, so I read this wonderful recount of the amazing life of Arthur.

I recommend this book to everyone above the age of 9. There are some "not so good for children parts" in this book. If you are a child who wants to read about King Arthur, then you should choose this book. If you want something that is easier, I suggest you not to select this book since it is kind of a hard book.

This book is a bargain, but make sure your reader is ready for it. Its style is rather "olde englishe biblical" -- not obsolete spelling, but somewhat difficult language for modern readers. If your reader is in the mood for thee-thou-mayhap-hath-milady, then go for it!

Who hasn't heard of King Arthur and the knights of his Round Table? In this book you meet them all ' including the magician Merlin, and the brave knights Sir Lancelot, Sir Gareth, Sir Tristam, Sir Bors, Sir Key, and Sir Galahad. All the old favorites are included ' Arthur drawing the sword out of the stone, Arthur receiving the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, Arthur becoming emperor, and Arthur's marriage to Guinevere. These events are recounted with surprising little drama. But don't give up too soon ' the best comes with all the quests and adventures of the knights that follow, including the Quest for the Holy Grail. This book is chock-full of entertaining adventures involving knights in shining armour, damsels in distress, fierce jousting and sword fights to the death, battles against hoards of enemies and giants, tournaments and miracles. Accompanying the text of this hard-cover, are ornate black and white pictures and images that contribute splendidly to the atmosphere evoked by the text.

The medieval setting is painted in a rather idealized fashion, limited to the nobility and figures of the court, who embrace all that is beautiful, brave and noble. These virtues are sometimes portrayed rather simplistically, as unknown knights engage in mortal combat, and only after they have virtually killed each other do the introductions begin: 'What is your name?' Behind this medieval mayhem is a heightened sense of chivalry more reflective of legend than fact, where knights battle to the death for the sake of a woman - even one they have only just met. But isn't that what the Arthurian legends are all about? Nobody is under the illusion that they are to be taken too seriously. Journeying to Arthur's Camelot is a form of escapism - suspend your sense of disbelief, watch the flashing swords and fearful battles, and enjoy.

That's not to say that the Arthurian tales do not reflect any reality. Arthur's world is in many respects a real medieval world. Medieval beliefs in paganism and Christianity are evident throughout. Witchcraft and enchantment is presented as alive and deadly, and conversely the true religion ' in this case the beliefs of the medieval Catholic church ' is evident throughout as knights commend themselves to God in prayer, thank him for his help, and even repent from their sins. The whole notion of the Holy Grail is of course a very Christian tradition ' although a tradition that represents more fiction than fact. And the moral virtues of justice, truth and right for which the honorable knights fight are still noble ideals of virtue today. Arthur's kingdom is presented as a kingdom blessed by the grace of God, a beacon of light symbolizing all that is good and true and right, and a worthy model for kingdoms in today's world because it revolves around timeless virtues. Tales that promote dignity, courtesy, courage, respect for right, respect for female dignity and purity are as ennobling as they are entertaining.

How much truth there is behind the Arthurian tales will always be the subject of debate. The fact remains that there is an extensive and confusing body of legend to wade through. In this 1923 work, Knowles has essentially followed Malory's fifteenth century classic 'Morte d'Arthur.' Even his language is antiquated and tedious, but persevere because you will soon find that this an enjoyable and essential addition that heightens the heroic atmosphere of the story and gives the legend a fittingly majestic touch. But it is doubtful that Malory or Knowles have been successful in making a great deal of sense out of the confusing mass of legend, because it is not unified in a plausible manner. Those looking for a more readable or easier introduction to king Arthur would be better served by the works by Roger Lancelyn Green or Howard Pyle.

In the end these tales of King Arthur and his knights remains a hodgepodge of anecdotes with different styles that is sometimes hard to wade through. But that doesn't matter. This collection is primarily of historical value, in giving a true picture of the original legends as they have been transmitted across hundreds of years. Even if it's not always easy to read, it cannot be denied that Knowles has produced a very comprehensive collection of the Arthurian tales, and the unbelievable exploits of knights in shining armour will continue to entertain in the future just as they have done in the past. Along with the tales of Robin Hood, the tales of King Arthur are the most exciting tales that British history has produced. This is the stuff of legend, and it's worth a read.

Both Volumes 1 and 2 of Penguins Le Morte D'Arthur were filled with an endless fountain of legends and reading these books one knows why it provided inspiration for writers throughout the centuries. The sub plots alone (ex: King Mark and Sir Tristam's love for Isoud and Sir Palomides internal and external battles) provide the aspiring writer with a wealth of plots and ideas. But for the love of God Penguin could have included some clear annotation throughout the book. The footnotes are in dire need of a major overhaul. All Penguin gives us is a few pages of translation for the more obscure words, but the reader has to go back and forth between the story and the dictionary. To put it simply it's an enourmous pain to do this. A system of annotation similar to Signet's publishing of Paradise Lost & Regained (which is also an excellent copy of this classic which I highly recommend) would have put this set of books up to five stars. Once you get past the obscure English the book becomes surprisingly easy to read, far easier than Shakespeare or Chaucer. Malory, obviously, was not a writer like Chaucer but he did do us a favor and put the bulk of the French legends into a handy volume so we wouldn't have to search through obscure Old French romances. So think of this more as an anthology rather than a novel. For those of you struggling through the text, as I did, you can skip to almost any part of the book (except the very first and very last part) and the story you will read will make sense (this is of course assuming you understand the obscure English).

LE MORTRE D'ARTHUR (The Death of Arthur) was written by Sir Thomas Malory while he was imprisoned for some number of years. It was one of the very first times that the Arthurian legend was penned in English. There were some older Latin fragments of the myth floating around, but it's thru Malory's account by which we know the stories most thoroughly. The most successful movie adaptation of the legend, EXCALIBUR, is based on elements taken from Malory's epic.

As I struggled through Chaucer while in college, I've not yet gotten up the courage to read the original middle-English version of this work (my apologies to all of the English professors out there). Therefore, it is good that Mr. Keith Baines was kind enough to translate the middle-English into a more accessible lexicon for me & people like me. Baines reveals the myths and legends in all their glory, and I can't help but believe that he expresses them in at least some measure of their middle-English power.

This is an ABSOLUTE must-read for all persons who have even a remote interest in the Arthurian fantasy. Although the book is abridged from the original, it nonetheless contains all of the most famous characters and episodes from the legend.

Within these pages, one will encounter Arthur, Gwynevere, Sir Launcelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Modred, Sir Bors, Sir Percivale, Merlin and all the rest. The purity of Galahad is contrasted with the sinful nature & temporary madness of Launcelot. The memorable allegory of Sir Percivale's duel with Satan, as well as so many other knightly adventures, are all recorded for us here.

This book is highly recommended to all fans of medieval times, medieval literature, the history of Great Britain and the idea of Chivalry. The codes of honor, the rules of fair play and the heroic ideals conceived by the knights of the middle-ages have followed us down thru the centuries and are still as relevant to the best of us today as they were 500-1500 years ago. The story ends with one of the most memorable Latin phrases in literary history:

HIC IACET ARTHURUS, REX QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS

[Here lies King Arthur, the once and future King]

Now for the details, open up the book!

Highbridge Classics' "Le Morte d'Arthur,"as read by legendary British thespian Derek Jacobi, is a great adaptation of Thomas Malory's quintessential Arthurian tome. Newcomers to Malory will find the audio book more accessible than the beautiful but often enigmatic source volume, while long-time Malory devotees will discover fresh nuances in Jacobi's authoritative rendition. Necessarily, some significant abridgements have been made, but at six audiocassettes this production still captures much of the Arthurian world's enormous scope. Featured storylines include Arthur's rise to the throne and his claiming of Excalibur, the epic search for the Holy Grail, the doomed love between Lancelot and Guenever, and the tragic final battle between Arthur and his ill-begotten son, Mordred. Jacobi conveys all the glory of Malory's prose style, while nonetheless cleaning up the diction a bit for modern ears. Finally, Ruth Morse's concise text introduction provides some keen observations on the big picture of the Arthurian myth. A magnificent version of Malory that no lover of Camelot should be without.

I was reading the reviews of this Bible and found two which troubled me. You see, I believe that this is an excellent study Bible, I own one and am contemplating the purchase of another. The study aids and references are easily found and easy to read. It increased my understanding of God's word quite a lot. In fact my 12 year old sister likes this Bible because she understands the language better than in a KJV, however the changing of a few words seems to offend some of the readers of this Bible. In later reviews they refer to the changing of the word black in Song of Solomon 1:5 to dark. This is a perfectly acceptable translation of the word when one considers the translation from Hebrew to english can be dusky which is dark while not necessarily black. And in the second complaint from Song of Solomon 5:11 which is about being bushy headed. The original Hebrew word is translated as vibrating and pendulous meaning wavy and long. I see no problem with either translation. Please check your references before you slam an excellent and helpful translation of God's word. (I checked mine in the Strong's Concordance. It translates from the original Hebrew and Greek which our Bible was written in.)

I have used a lot of study Bibles over the last 25 years and this is one of the best. I love the cyclopedic index which is over 200 pages long. It defines a term, such as "peace" and then shows key incidences of it in the Bible. The type face is easy to read and there are in-text charts, maps and word studies. The New Living Translation is a good translation for personal devotional reading and public reading as well. This Bible also shows good workmanship and you will be pleased with it. I use this study Bible along with the New American Standard Ryrie Study Bible.

The Open Bible has served me for years now. I have gone through three copies and updates. The book outlines and historical information are unmatched in other study Bibles. The charts of history are exceptionally easy to follow. As stated above, the study information does not get in the way of reading God's Word as He gave it. I highly recommend this study Bible to anyone who wants to go a little further than casual reading of the Bible.

My friend recently purchased a Bible (New Living Translation) and allowed me to exchange my Bible (New King James Version) with hers. I am an instructor in a Seminary and therefore very picky with the versions I choose to read. I usually prefer either the New American Standard or the New Revised Standard Versions. However, I found the NLT to be an inviting one. While I was sharing my experience with the NLT with my other friends, one of them, Karen Davila, who is a popular, award-winning, television journalist here in Manila, Philippines (GMA-Channel 7) mentioned how pleasant it was to read the NLT. It was a '...perfect way to start your day...'

A few of my students who are freshmen enjoy the version too. I will request our Library that we acquire a few copies. A colleague of mine is thinking of purchasing one. Frankly, I probably would go back to NRSV/NASB when I teach or write, primarily for the reason that they are much closer to the original languages. But, for daily quiet time and while keeping my journal, the NLT looks like an appropriate choice. I thank the Lord for all those who invested their time and efforts in giving all of us the NLT. God bless you.

I have been a born-again Christian for over 30 years. I have tried for all of these years to read the King James version and the Living Bible. Neither one was able to break the scriptures down into a language I could truly understand. Now I can! I can finally understand God's word, His wonderful message! Not only do I find this translation understandable but also fasinating! I can barely put it down. I am amazed at how much of the New Testament I have read in such a short time. This version holds my attention and keep me yearning for more.

So much of what I have heard in sermons and been taught in Sunday School over the years finally come together for me.

I am very careful when someone talks about what God has to say. Too many put their own twist on the Word to suit their purpose instead of using the Word as it is intended. I have cross checked The New Living Translation with the King James version and I find the NLT to be very accurate. So does my Pastor!

This version will fire you up for Jesus! Imagine Gods pleasure that in this day and age we can understand His will on our own. No other interpretation is needed.

This is a "must have" for all Believers in Christ.

The Word of God is to be consumed by His people and this translation satisfies the hungry 'child' in me. I grew up reading the "The Living Bible" but as the the need for a more precise study Bible presented itself, I left behind my 'childhood' friend in favour of more 'accurate transliterations'. To their credit, they served me well, however when attempting to relate intricate truths to others, I found myself sounding pious and scholarly...not a coat I wear comfortably. What a complete joy, then to read the sheer simplicity of His loving missive to me and still know that academics have not been forsaken. This will be the Bible I grow old with...