The Bible in the English language stands among the great achievements of all time, not only as a masterpiece of inspired writing but also as testament to the prominent place of the Scriptures in the life of English-speaking peoples. In this comprehensive study of the various translations of the Bible into English, F.F. Bruce traces the story from its earliest days to the publication of such contemporary versions as The New English Bible, The New American Standard Version, The Living Bible, and The Good News Bible.

Frederick Fyvie Bruce (1910 - 1990), also known as F. F. Bruce, was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester. He was born in Elgin, Morayshire and was educated at the University of Aberdeen, Cambridge University and the University of Vienna. After teaching Greek for several years first at the University of Edinburgh and then at the University of Leeds he became head of the Department of Biblical History and Literature at the University of Sheffield in 1947. In 1959 he moved to the University of Manchester where he became professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis. In his career he wrote some thirty-three books and served as editor of The Evangelical Quarterly and the Palestine Exploration Quarterly. He retired from teaching in 1978.

Bruce was a distinguished scholar on the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul, and wrote several studies the best known of which is Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free (published in the United Kingdom under the title Paul, the Apostle of the Free Spirit). He also wrote commentaries on several biblical books including the Gospel of John, Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and the Epistle to the Hebrews.