The Book of Books: The Radical Impact of the King James Bible 1611-2011

The King James Bible has often been called "The Book of Books," both as itself and for what it stands for. Since its publication in 1611, it has been the best-selling book in the world. No other book has had greater impact.

The King James Bible has spread the Protestant faith. It has also been the greatest influence on the enrichment of English language and its literature. It has been the Bible of wars, from the British Civil War in the seventeenth century to the American Civil War two centuries later, and it has been carried into battle in innumerable conflicts since then. Its influence on social movements-particularly involving women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries-and politics was profound. The King James Bible was crucial to the growth of democracy and was integral to the abolition of slavery. It even helped define our attitudes towards modern science, education, and sex.