In January 1604, at the Hampton Court Conference, the momentous decision was taken to produce an English Bible. In retrospect, the decision certainly looks defensible. But, at the time, the proposal came as a complete surprise. There were already several good translations and one outstanding version in circulation. The result, the King James or Authorised Version, was a stunning success. After it appeared in 1611, there would not be another major attempt to create a new version for over 250 years; its dominance would last for over three centuries. But prior to its appearance, the English Bible had had a most tumultuous history. Even though they would eventually be tolerated, many of the versions emerged from the shadows of illegal movements. Others were organised attempts to produce a standard Bible for the realm. Taken as a whole, this resulted in a chaotic welter of Renaissance English Bibles. Nevertheless, that welter contained a treasury of expression and scholarship.

The King James translators drew upon all of their English predecessors and much more besides. The authors offer both a political and literary history of the Bible. Their purpose is to explain how styles of presenting Scriptures in English developed out of political and ecclesiastical circumstances. The result is a refreshing reassessment of the literary and scholarly accomplishment of all the Renaissance Bibles and a clear account of what is different and distinctive in the King James Version. They also linger over the texts of the Bible, comparing significant passages in the various versions. Such close study of the texts is warranted because the English Bible has had a profound effect on English language, literature, politics and ideas; it has left a lasting impression on the language that we speak today. No other language, except perhaps German, can boast that its vernacular translation of the Bible is a literary masterpiece in its own right.

Fine illustrations, with lengthy captions, are an integral part of the book. The images, mostly from extraordinarily rare imprints, make Let It Go among the People unusually vivid and captivating.