Pushing fifty and rendered obsolete by an excellent revision, there's still something charming about the New English Bible. Maybe it's the text setting -- my favorite of all time -- but we'll get into that in a moment. For now, here's a fine example: a 1961 edition of the NEB New Testament bound in blue Morocco, still in beautiful shape. I found this recently on eBay and paid a whopping $10.
About that text setting. I've written about it before (see "Design Case Study: NEB NT Paperback") and will no doubt return to it again. Why? Because it's the most satisfying single-column text setting of Scripture I have yet encountered. The proportions are elegant, the font choice is classic, the layout makes perfect sense. There's not much to fault here, if you ask me:
This is no pocket edition. It's larger than many thinline Bibles, measuring 6 x 9, and about an inch thick. Not ideal for carrying around, but quite nice for reading. Of course, the quality binding helps, too. It's sewn, naturally, and the paper is nice and thick, cream-colored and quite opaque, with gently curved corners. After all this time, the calfskin still feels great to the touch. And guess what? It opens flat.
There are some signs of wear: pencil marks inside, a bit of crushing on the bottom of the spine -- probably from standing on a bookcase with those slight semi-yapp edges. Still, after forty-seven years, it's perfectly usable. In fact, thanks to its design, it's a lot more pleasant to use than many of the whippersnappers available today.
I'm particularly impressed with the finishing inside. The lining doesn't appear to be leather, but it has an attractive pebbled surface that looks the part, and the edge is rolled neatly for a clean line. (Note: I shot the photo of the inside cover in fairly bright light to get a good focus on the details, and as a result the blue looks lighter than it does in life.) This thing isn't going to unravel anytime soon.
The grain up close is beautiful, and while blue isn't a color I've given much thought to, I find the execution quite refined here. Let's take one last look:
Congratulations on a nice find!
In a similar vein, about 10 years ago I found an edition of the NEB in "genuine cowhide" in a used bookstore for about $15. By the standards of the folks frequenting this site, it is merely a mid-range binding, yet I cannot really find anything like it these days. I don't like super-limp covers, yet this one still lays open on a table and the cover still gives the book a little support. It's what leather bindings used to be--usable and durable.
It is a protestant Bible (no deuterocanonicals) that measures approx 5.5 x 7.9 inches at slightly under 1.5 inches thick. To me, it is the paradigm example of a personal Bible, both for its size and the text setting. I hope to be able to share photos at some point.
Posted by: Tod Twist | April 21, 2008 at 04:32 AM
Wow, really enjoying this site...the typesetting reminds me of the leather bound Valley of Vision. Clean and elegant.
Posted by: Greg | April 21, 2008 at 05:11 AM
Item number: 380018225863
Water Buffalo one also on Ebay
Posted by: Jay Davis | April 21, 2008 at 06:58 AM
Awesome find! The NEB/REB has become one of my favorite translations. Mark if you ever want to sell (or give away) this edition please email. ;)
PS - I suggest a For Sale/Wanted section of Bible Design & Binding. I can be part of the group therapy.
Posted by: Marion Hawkins | April 21, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Me too! The older versions of the NEB have the best typesetting/font/single column/number of words per line/etc. of any Bible of all time. I can't get away from it. Sure, it may not be the most literal, but it is the most enjoyable to read for the beautiful English and the design! Wake up bible publishers! Copy this design.
I'm so jealous of this edition that you have!
Posted by: C. Gorsuch | April 22, 2008 at 02:08 AM
Another nice Bible. $10? How do you do that?
I tried for the Water Buffalo on ebay. My first bid was at $43. I dropped out at $65.
Posted by: Stan McCullars | April 22, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Interesting version on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/BOOK-NEW-ENGLISH-BIBLE-WITH-APOCALYPSE-1777-PAGES_W0QQitemZ360045694138QQihZ023QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Its described as a New English Bible with Apocalypse...talk about a unique version!
Posted by: Marion Hawkins | April 24, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Mark,
Do you have an ISBN for this edition?
Thanks,
Marion
Posted by: Marion Hawkins | April 28, 2008 at 01:36 PM
I'm sorry, Marion, but this edition is from 1961. They didn't have ISBN numbers back then!
Posted by: J. Mark Bertrand | April 29, 2008 at 09:46 AM
These 1961 NEB text NT's really are nice readers, even in hardback. You probably won't find one better than this one still in shrink-wrap, and you can probably get it for a $5 offer!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400059062359&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_588wt_1139
Posted by: bill | October 06, 2010 at 06:25 AM
I bought a hardback one of those at Salvation Army for $1. It is quite nice.
Posted by: John | October 06, 2010 at 01:05 PM