Leather Books

It's a wonderful bible with an easy to use non-technical commentary. I just wish it had a concordance.

Despite this book being written just shortly after the American Revolution, it is surprisingly modern in thought and attitude. It is also the very best book I've ever read on the American Revolution and really helped me to understand it much more clearly. Here is why I liked it: 1) Ramsay gives you a very clear and understandable situation of the colonies prior to the Revolution; it all now becomes crystal clear in the reader's ming; 2) he also gives you a very easy understanding of the events that led up to war and why they occurred; 3) he provides a good account of what our political leaders were doing during the war, and he provides an equally clear picture of the English king and politicians, especially the British Parliament; 4) he never says Benjamin Franklin but always Dr. Franklin, and makes you realize the power and respect that, may I say it, Ben Franklin had at the time both here and in England, making you wonder why he wasn't elected the first president; 5) he shows you the power of lawyers (no lawyer jokes here) and how, without them, we would never have gotten our independence; 6) he wonders about the same environmental problems we worry about today, causing the reader to feel he is ahead of his time, and, 7) most importantly, the accounts of battles, big and small, and especially how the civil population tolerated all this goings-on or opposed it... Despite some of his contemporaries saying Ramsay plagerized [sp] parts of the book, I really didn't care since it flows so well, presenting so clear a picture of events and an understanding of those events.

Thomas McKenney & James Hall's impressive portfolio of Indian portraits documents an important part of American History, the great leaders of the Indian nations which have disappeared since the mid-nineteenth century. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Indian and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, so integral a part of the history of the United States. His legacy was a gallery or portraits of the great chiefs by artists such as James Otto Lewis, Charles Bird King, and George Cooke.

McKenney took office in 1816 and shortly thereafter began to plan an archive which would house Indian memorabilia. In the winter of 1821-22 a large delegation of Indians comprising Pawnee, Sauk, Fox, Menominee, Miami, Sioux, and Chippewa came to Washington to see President Monroe. McKenney took advantage of this opportune time to record their likenesses by commissioning Lewis and King. More paintings were added to these over the years resulting in an impressive gallery of Indian portraiture. In 1830, McKenney was dismissed by President Jackson and at this time began to plan for the publication of a portfolio of prints of these portraits.

The results of years of struggle, McKenney's folio was completed 6 years later, the plates for the first edition being first published in 1832. The folio was a collaborative effort, the text written by James Hall based on information which McKenney supplied. The magnitude of the project was overwhelming. McKenney battled poverty, politics, and printers to achieve his goal. Although he was acutely aware that he was preserving a chapter in history, he could not have known that had he not undertaken this project that no record at all would remain for in 1865 a fire at the Smithsonian destroyed almost all the original paintings from which the lithographs were drawn. Photography provided a record of the post-Civil War frontier but for the pre-Cival War period we have the artists and the visionaries, such as McKenney, who captured the brilliance of Indian culture in that brief period in history before much of it was forever lost.

The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

The HCSB has been coming out in stages, now available with the NT, Psalms and Proverbs. This release is only a pocket size edition, but that makes it very handy, fitting well into your front pocket, briefcase, or purse. Print size is functional. With each release improvements have been made, such as great footnotes. Certain improvements have also been made in wording, such as "One and Only Son" replacing "only Son" in John, chapters 1 and 3. There is now a glossary in the back for words that need explanation, such as "LORD of Hosts." Words detailed in the glossary are bulleted in the text.

Read other reviews for the HCSB by calling up "HCSB" or "Experiencing God" in the Amazon "Search" feature. In short, this Bible is unique in the following ways: It is conservative and literal. What separates it from NASB or ESV is that it uses real world modern sentence and paragraph structure, and, while keeping theological jargon (such as redemption, justification, etc.), the translators chose not to use the obscure KJV-ish words found in most "literal" translations, such as temperate, sober-minded, licentious, uttermost, sodomite, only-begotten, discreet, etc. The HCSB uses real in-use words, replacing "sober" with "sensible," "sodomite" with "homosexual," "debauchery", in most its occurrences, with "sexual promiscuity,"etc.

Another impressive feature is that the translators usually footnote when they digress from the literal. Usually the dynamic renderings are used to give the reader clarity. By giving you the footnote, they keep the process honest. I appreciate that.

To those who haven't viewed the HCSB, it reads somewhere between the NKJV and the NIV. As to the gender issue, the language is not "gender neutral," but is somewhat "gender sensitive." However, the HCSB does not resort to pluralizing words that are singular. This translation also uses correct sentence structure- no run-ons or awkwardly arranged sentences like many older versions, and the ESV- and it sounds very modern. The Psalms in HCSB especially read smoother than all the other "literal" translations. I personally am trying to wean myself from studying several translations to go to one translation: this one. With the HCSB as my daily use/memory Bible and the NET Bible (incredible commentary with text) and the NASB on my shelf for reference checks, I will be set. ...

On the recommendation side, I wish the translators would put "sexual immorality" into the glossary. In older translations, "fornication" was in the text, a word with evocative impact and a dictionary definition. The phrase "sexual immorality" means "that which is considered not moral by the standard of society." It is relative, and in our amoral, post-church society, what is considered immoral? Maybe pedophilia, but little else. I don't think most translators realize what a weak rendering "sexual immorality" is. A glossary definition is needed, IMHO.

This is a Bible you can use and be proud to use, one you can share with friends, and one you can use in witnessing. It is all-purpose, accurate and reliable. Holman is a great publisher, so you know it will have backing. Buy it, read it, study it, memorize it, give it out to friends. Write a review after you check it out. OK, I'm done.

This was a gift and the recipent was thrilled with it. He said it is invaluable in its descriptions and illustrations, especially for teaching.

I will let you do your own research on the merits of the HCSB translation, which is excellent in my estimation.

As far as the specifics of this edition, it really is "Duo-Tone", not bonded leather. Duo-Tone is more durable than bonded leather (which is nothing more than leather scraps that are molded together) and it is very soft to the touch. This Bible will lay flat when opened, which is generally an indication decent quality binding. Another thing to be aware of, my edition does not have the 'slide tab', though it has the same ISBN number.

The paper is much better than the paper used in the my ESV Classic Thinline. It is brighter and it has far less bleed-through.

This is the one book every home should have. It is the most widely translated book in the world, outselling all other publications. Do yourself a favour and obtain a copy if you don't already have one. Don't be alarmed by the bulk of this book, turn to John 3 verse 16. Read this paragraph, ponder it and reconsider your life.

Some of the first documented unexplained healings occurred in Oral Roberts ministry. His commentary includes his own personal insights
about miracles and healings.

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A SMALL CHILD SITTING IN THE FLOOR AT MY MOTHERS KNEE.I WOULD SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO HER AS SHE READ TO ME FROM THIS PRECIOUS BOOK. I REMEMBER HER VOICE SO CLEAR AS SHE WOULD READ ABOUT DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN AND HOW THE LIONS DIDN'T HARM HIM.
AS I GOT OLDER I READ THE BIBLE ON MY OWN.SUCH EXCITING PLACES
THERE ARE TO VISIT RIGHT IN OUR OWN HOMES IF WE WOULD ONLY MAKE
MORE TIME TO GET INTO AND READ THIS HOLY WORD OF GOD.SUCH SWEET PEACE WE WOULD HAVE IN OUR HEARTS IF WE WOULD ALL TRULY COME TO KNOW HIM AS OUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR.
GOD HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR ME IN MY LIFE.HE HAS GIVEN ME MORE THAN I DESERVE.I HAVE A WONDERFUL SON WHO MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. A LOVING HUSBAND WHO EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT IN THE BEST OF HEALTH
WORKS HARD ON HIS JOB TO SUPPORT US.ONLY GOD CAN GIVE A PERSON THAT KIND OF STRENGTH.
THE ANSWER TO ANY PROBLEM THAT COMES ALONG IS IN THIS BOOK.WE HAVE ONLY TO SIT DOWM AND MEDITATE UPON THIS PRECIOUS WORD AND
HE WILL HELP US SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU AS YOU MAKE A HABIT OF READING AND FEEDING YOUR SOUL WITH WHAT CAN BE YOUR DAILY BREAD AS WELL AS IT IS MINE.AMEN.