In the Beginning, James. Orphaned, bullied, lonely, and unloved as a boy, in time the young King of Scots overcame his troubled beginnings to ascend the English throne at the height of EnglandAEs Golden Age. In an effort to pacify rising tensions in the Anglican Church, and to reflect the majesty of his new reign, he spearheaded the most important literary undertaking in Western historyuthe translation of the Bible into a beautiful, lyrical, and accessible English.David TeemsAEs narrative crackles with wit, using a thoroughly modern tongue to reanimate the life of this seventeenth century kingua man at the intersection of political, literary, and religious thought, yet a man of contrasts, dubbed by one French king as othe wisest fool in Christendom.oWarm, insightful, even at times amusing, TeemsAEs depiction of King James has all the elements of a grand taleuconspiracy, kidnapping, witchcraft, murder, love, despair, loss. Majestie offers an engaging new look at the worldAEs most cherished, revered, and influential translation of Sacred Writ and the king behind it. oEngrossing and entertainingaa delightful read in every way.o u Publishers WeeklyIn the Beginning, James. Orphaned, bullied, lonely, and unloved as a boy, in time the young King of Scots overcame his troubled beginnings to ascend the English throne at the height of EnglandAEs Golden Age. In an effort to pacify rising tensions in the Anglican Church, and to reflect the majesty of his new reign, he spearheaded the most important literary undertaking in Western historyuthe translation of the Bible into a beautiful, lyrical, and accessible English.David TeemsAEs narrative crackles with wit, using a thoroughly modern tongue to reanimate the life of this seventeenth century kingua man at the intersection of political, literary, and religious thought, yet a man of contrasts, dubbed by one French king as othe wisest fool in Christendom.oWarm, insightful, even at times amusing, TeemsAEs depiction of King James has all the elements of a grand taleuconspiracy, kidnapping, witchcraft, murder, love, despair, loss. Majestie offers an engaging new look at the worldAEs most cherished, revered, and influential translation of Sacred Writ and the king behind it. oEngrossing and entertainingaa delightful read in every way.o u Publishers Weekly

It was an outlawed book, a text so dangerous “it could only be countered by the most vicious burnings, of books and men and women.” But what book could incite such violence and bloodshed? The year is 1526. It is the age of Henry VIII and his tragic Anne Boleyn, of Martin Luther and Thomas More. The times are treacherous. The Catholic Church controls almost every aspect of English life, including access to the very Word of God. And the church will do anything to keep it that way.

Enter William Tyndale, the gifted, courageous “heretic” who dared translate the Word of God into English. He worked in secret, in exile, in peril, always on the move. Neither England nor the English language would ever be the same again.

With thoughtful clarity and a reverence that comes through in every word, David Teems shares a story of intrigue and atrocity, betrayal and perseverance. This is how the Reformation officially reached English shores–and what it cost the men who brought it there.

Praise for David Teems’ previous work Majestie

“Teems . . . pulls together the story of this enigmatic king [ James] with humor and pathos . . . [A] delightful read in every way.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY