or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
42 used & new from £2.20
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Bible: The Biography
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

The Bible: The Biography (Paperback)

by Karen Armstrong (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £5.37 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.62 (40%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 17? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
27 new from £3.58 15 used from £2.20
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover £16.99 £11.99 30 used & new from £2.65
Paperback (Export Ed) 19 used & new from £2.21
Paperback (Large Print) £10.89 £9.86 13 used & new from £6.79
Audio CD (Audiobook,CD,Unabridged) £29.35 £29.35 12 used & new from £25.45

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Frequently Bought Together

The Bible: The Biography + The Case for God: What Religion Really Means + A History of God
Price For All Three: £23.21

Show availability and delivery details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

A History of God

A History of God

by Karen Armstrong
4.2 out of 5 stars (24)  £6.97
The Case for God: What Religion Really Means

The Case for God: What Religion Really Means

by Karen Armstrong
4.4 out of 5 stars (24)  £10.87
A Short History Of Myth

A Short History Of Myth

by Karen Armstrong
3.8 out of 5 stars (9)  £4.49
The Great Transformation: The World in the Time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah

The Great Transformation: The World in the Time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah

by Karen Armstrong
3.7 out of 5 stars (7)  £6.97
Islam: A Short History (Universal History)

Islam: A Short History (Universal History)

by Karen Armstrong
3.8 out of 5 stars (21)  £4.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Atlantic Books (1 Mar 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1843543974
  • ISBN-13: 978-1843543978
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 13 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 9,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #2 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible > Criticism & Interpretation
    #18 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Sacred Texts

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Christian Store (CBD) opens new browser window
www.christianbook.com  -  Official Site for Christianbook.com Books, bibles, music, gifts & more. 
   The Bible Shop opens new browser window
www.eden.co.uk/Bible-Shop/  -  Free Delivery and discounts in our Christian Bible Shop. 
   Bible, Bibles, Bibles opens new browser window
www.WesleyOwen.com/Bibles  -  Buy from a Christian Charity Free Delivery 
  
 

Product Description

Review

"'The best sort of popularizing: there is no sacrifice of integrity and no dumbing down.' Edward Norman, Literary Review 'A remarkable history... fascinating and highly readable... profoundly relevant.' Julie Wheelwright, Independent 'This book deserves nothing but praise.' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times"


Product Description

The Bible is the most widely distributed book in the world. Translated into over two thousand languages, it is estimated that more than six billion copies have been sold in the last two hundred years alone. In this seminal account, Karen Armstrong traces the gestation of the Bible to reveal a complex and contradictory document created by scores of people over hundreds of years.Karen Armstrong begins her analysis with the origins of the very earliest books of the "Hebrew Bible", in which God was called both 'Yahweh' and 'Elohim'. She then traces the development of both the "Hebrew Bible" and the "New Testament" to reveal the disparate influences that helped to form these sacred texts. From the Jewish practice of Midrash and the Christian cult of Jesus; to the influence of Paul's letters on the Reformation and the manipulation of Revelations by Christian fundamentalism, Armstrong explores the contexts in which these sixty-six books were understood and explains the social needs they answered. In the process she reveals an unfamiliar and paradoxical work that will permanently alter our understanding of the Bible.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 11 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Bible: The Biography
74% buy the item featured on this page:
The Bible: The Biography 4.0 out of 5 stars (19)
£5.37
The Case for God: What Religion Really Means
18% buy
The Case for God: What Religion Really Means 4.4 out of 5 stars (24)
£10.87
A History of God
4% buy
A History of God 4.2 out of 5 stars (24)
£6.97
Islam: A Short History (Universal History)
2% buy
Islam: A Short History (Universal History) 3.8 out of 5 stars (21)
£4.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A New Perspective on the Bible, 17 Nov 2008
By James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Bible: A Biography (Books That Changed the World) (Audio CD)
This book provides an overview of the story of the Bible, not the text itself, but how it was written, how the canon was selected and how it has been interpreted and used over the centuries. Spanning the millennia from the writing to the present, it gives a view of the place of the Bible in the world that is often missing when reading about a particular book or thene of the Scriptures.

Author Karen Armstrong introduces, or reminds, the reader, about the sources of the Old and New Testament, the multiple authors of Isaiah and the way the Bible shaped the Jewish self-image. As it progresses, she cites comments by many writers, Christian and Jewish, including Sts. Augustine and Jerome, Martin Luther and many others.

I have read a fair amount about the Bible (see my Listmania, "Thinking of God") but I learned things I had not previously known. From my perspective, telling the story in a continuum is the most helpful aspect of this book. For one who has studied the Bible less deeply, it will provide a good introduction.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
88 of 111 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars profound contribution to our shared culture, 28 Oct 2007
This review is from: The Bible: The Biography (Hardcover)
I am not usually lost for words, to say the least. But I am struck alternately dumb and gibbering by this beautiful, beautiful book. Surpassing even Frances Yates in consummate scholarship, spanning millennia of allegory and exegesis Armstrong stands alone in her total mastery of the religious understanding which beats in the heart of all cultures. Here in following "the Bible" through four millennia of conflict and resolution she presents in the clearest possible narrative (aided by comprehensive glossary, footnotes and bibliography) how Logos and Love are inseparable in theology and praxis and how the greatest treasure of Western philosophy remains The Golden Rule.

I am neither Jewish nor Christian ( our family is half Rasta, half Muslim) but for me this is simply the most important book our century has produced. A book of immense transformative power: buy it, read it, share it around.
Comment Comments (2) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
35 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Guide to the Evolution of the Bible, 26 Dec 2007
By J. R. Dickie (Yorkshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Bible: The Biography (Hardcover)
This is a fantastic book and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who wonders what the Bible is all about. It clearly traces the history of the Bible and shows how it has been a living document - written, rewritten, edited and translated to suit the needs of different societies through the ages. As a starting point for understanding what the Bible means to the world today this cannot be bettered.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
I am anti-religion, anti-church and possibly not the target market for this book, but I loved it.
Armstrong's narrative history of one of the world's most important books is... Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. Roberts

5.0 out of 5 stars Less is more
In many ways this is an abridged version of Armstrong's "A history of God". In that book monotheism was discussed through the evolution of the writings and practises of Judaism,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Duducu

4.0 out of 5 stars An unconvincing apologist
For many years I was a fan of Karen Armstrong. She appeared to have an understanding of the mindset of the religious fundamentalist,as well as a nature essentially humane. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rowland Nelken

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible past and present
Karen Armstrong's 'biography' of the Bible is part of the 'Books that Shook the World' series. The Bible, of course, is not simply one book, but many books gathered together in a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jon E

5.0 out of 5 stars Armstrong At Her Best
To avoid any misunderstanding, this is not a biography of characters within the Bible but rather a history of how the Bible was compiled and the role that it has played in the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ukhuman1st

3.0 out of 5 stars Superficiality Supreme


Although Karen Armstrong claims to have produced a biography of the Bible she has instead produced a biography of herself. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Neutral

1.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyment and context lost by robotic narration
No doubt this book is another excellent exercise for the mind from Karen Armstrong, yet it seems that I will need to buy the hard copy to find out. Read more
Published 11 months ago by L. Duncan

4.0 out of 5 stars An Exellent Rendition Of The Many Influences That Has become The Bible As We Know It.
This is my first title Ive read from this author, and I have to say that her work rightfully sits as some of the best on this topic. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Astore Stargazer

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-altering book
The hopes and fears of all my years of Bible study have been met in this book!

Mostly it gave me a new appreciation for the strong influence of the Jewish faith and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by D. K. Bagshaw

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and essential reading
Armstrong has produced a cogent and necessary book. She demonstrates immense skill in absorbing a mass of complex historical information and presenting a concise and erudite... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Marco

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject







i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.