The King's Book

by Louise A. Vernon
Available from Amazon
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Nat Culver is the son of one of the translators King James has appointed, working on a Bible to replace the Geneva Bible. As we follow Nat during the period of the translation, we read some of the discussions this work provoked. Nat’s personal drama brings up the persecution of Catholics in England at the time, and his friend from the court brings us up to date on little tidbits of period history. Being well educated, as one might expect from the son of one of the translators, Nat became the tutor to a son of one of the other translators. As the men who worked on the King James Bible were not paid, Nat was also unpaid for his tutoring, but he was glad to receive food and a place in the family of his employer. As we read along with Nat and his adventures, we learn along with him much about the Bible as it was held in that time, interpretation, and views on the translation work. Even though King James commissioned this Bible, Nat finally declares that it “is not the king’s book” but “the King of Kings’ Book.”

I thought this a well researched book, and great for children. They will easily learn some of the period history, as well as the origins of the King James Version.