Crossway’s Large Print Personal Size Bible with 12-point font and red-letter is a good trade-off between size and features. The size and font make it a great choice for a reading Bible. The edition I’m reviewing is mahogany TruTone.
Pros
- Line matching
- Text is sharp and semi-bold
Cons
- No maps
- Paper could be more opaque
Features
- 2011 ESV
- TruTone Mahogany imitation leather cover
- Perimeter stitching
- 12-point font
- Red-letter
- 2 column text
- Section headings in the text
- Footnotes and references at the bottom of the page
- Concordance
- 1 ribbon
- Presentation and family pages
- Gilted edges
- 8.75 x 5.75 x 1.5
- ISBN: 9781433541537
- Printed in China
Cover and Binding
Not all imitation leather covers are of the same quality. Other imitation leathers have a cheap look and feel, but Crossway’s TruTone is one of the best imitation leather’s that I’ve seen. It feels durable and elegant. It is not floppy. I prefer this because it’s easier to hold in one hand. If you’re looking for a floppy cover then TruTone is not what you’re looking for. I prefer it to bonded leather and I even like it better than some genuine leathers that I’ve seen. It is perimeter stitched and the lining looks like vinyl. I love the mahogany color. The spine is embossed without any foil, which I love the look of.
This one has a sewn binding. It has a little trouble lying flat in Genesis. It will break in over time. One thing I am concerned about it how long the binding will last.
Paper and Print
The paper is nice but it does have show-through in the poetry sections. This is not noticeable in the other books because of the line-matching. It’s distracting but only in the poetry sections.
The font is where this Bible shines. It is 12-point and it looks like a 13-point leading. There is plenty enough room for underlining. It is nice and sharp. I would call it semi-bold. It’s consistent throughout and a joy to read. The red-letter is about a medium shade. It’s also consistent with no fading.
Size and Layout
For me, the size of this Bible is perfect. It is 8.75 x 5.75 x 1.5 and feels right in my hand. It is easy to hold in one hand.
This has a double-column layout in paragraph format. Section headings are placed throughout the text. Footnotes and references are located at the bottom of the page and are keyed to the text with numbers and letters. References are mostly found in the New Testament, but there are not many of them. There are more footnotes than references. Many pages have neither. OT quotes and poetry are in verse format.
Every book starts on its own page. I wish all Bibles did this as this is aesthetically pleasing and gives valuable writing space.
Concordance
The concordance is 56 pages and it says it contains almost 14,000 entries and 300,000 verses. There are 57 entries for ‘God’. It is large enough to be useful in Bible study or quick referencing.
Ribbon
There is only one ribbon. It is long and is a shade of mahogany that is slightly lighter than the cover. it looks nice and is usable, though it is on the skinny side.
Conclusion
This Bible is a joy to read. It has become my favorite ESV reading Bible. It is free from distractions and still has a few helps with footnotes and section headings that don’t get in the way of my reading. The line-matching does greatly improve readability. There is more show-through in poetry sections than I like, but that’s a minor complaint. I would have liked to have maps. Overall, this is a nice edition of the ESV for anyone looking for large print without too many distractions. I highly recommend it as a reading Bible.
Crossway Publishing provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review – only an honest review.
