Rewriting The Bible.(Power and Glory: Jacobean England and the Making of the King James Bible)(Book Review)

Nothing heightens the need for a little peace, love and understanding like an attempt on one's life. When Guy Fawkes conspired to blow up London's Parliament in 1605, it drove home to King James I just how divided his realm was. Since inheriting the thrones of England and Scotland in 1603, the heavy-drinking, red-haired monarch had struggled to soothe the explosive religious, cultural and political tensions dividing his kingdom. But the infamous Gunpowder Plot--foiled by a relative of one of Fawkes's co-conspirators--hastened James's efforts toward reconciliation. And he decided it could be done with a new translation of the Bible.

James's desire to establish peace led to the single lasting achievement of his reign: the creation of one of the greatest, and most widely read, prose works in the English language. In a new book, "Power and Glory: Jacobean England and the Making of the King James Bible" (HarperCollins. 288 pages), journalist Adam Nicholson explores the text's dramatic language and striking imagery. He compares it with previous, less successful translations and places it firmly in historical context, regaling the reader with lively accounts of alcohol-fueled revels at the Court of St. James's and the political maneuvering and interdenominational squabbles that attended its composition. As Nicholson points out, James compiled his version at the same time that Shakespeare was writing and staging "King Lear," "Othello" and "The Tempest," and it shares the Bard's preoccupation with pressing contemporary debates, such as the nature of kingly power.

At the heart of the King ...