Review: David Teems' "Tyndale"

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"Culture grew within and around the Church.  She was the watchful parent.  And membership was not optional, "It was not a mattter of choice, it was compulsory and without alternative, which gave it a hold not easy to dislodge."  
The renaissance, however, with its discovery of the New World with its reinterpretation of the cosmos and man's reassigned place within it,with the downsizing of the great myths that had driven culture along, allowed man to reimagine himself.  And becoming self-aware, he didn't necessarily need nor want a demanding mother.  Such an evolutionary state in the progress of man could not help but create a powerful tension.  It is within this tension that our story lives." 

Wow.  I included a quote at the very beginning of this review because I wanted to give a glimpse of the author's writing style as well as the content of the book.  I think this quote sums it up nicely.   When I requested this book from Book Sneeze, I was hoping to find a good book that would be useful for my homeschooled students, which indeed this book will be.   However, I was surprised at how inspired and intoxicated I would become with the deep and thorough taste of the time of the 1500s.   The book is not what I expected of a biography, its far less linear and takes some liberties in style for sure.  But i appreciate the authenticity of the author's clear desire to tell the story of one massively influential man of God. 

Inside David Teems'  book "Tyndale"  you will find 303 pages of fascinating history.  This book is a biography, and while it definitely feels a bit disorganized to me, I appreciate the author's expressive, almost lyrical writing style.   The story of Tyndale is one that is so monumental, yet so seldom told. 

William Tyndale, born appx 1494 was a writer, and one who has impacted life as we know it immeasurably.  He's most well known for translating the Greek Bible into common English, a crime according to the Catholic church of the Middle Ages and one that would eventually result in him being burned at the stake.   Additionally, and no less impressive, he is responsible for many of the words we use today in common language.  His Biblical and linguistic achievements make him a pivotal figure in history, yet so little is know about him.   Teems, consequently, has approached this book as something of an adventure tale, a true one- including bits of the lives of contemporaries such as Thomas More, Martin Luther, and the saint that led the way for common people to access God's Word in the 1300s, John Wycliffe, who is well known for first translating the Latin Vulgate into English, also a "crime" resulting in his remains (he died of a stroke) being exhumed, paraded around, and burned.   

While "Tyndale" wasn't quite what I was expecting and did come across as a bit fragmented and scattered, I was really pulled in to the story by the author.  I really learned a LOT from this book and am happy to recommend it to others.  I'll also be incorporating it into my homeschoolers' history studies.  

Thanks BookSneeze for providing this copy to me in exchange for my honest review.   Are you a blogger that would like to review books? Check out  Book Sneeze  I've really enjoyed reviewing books for them! 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”