R. L. Allan's TNIV

It's hard to find a decent copy of Today's New International Version. When I received my preview edition of the New Testament a few years ago, I was duly impressed. It featured an attractive single-column setting. It employed a classic, readable font. The preview copy was printed on cheap paper and had a glued spine -- but then it was free, so what you do expect? The same format with better quality materials would have been superb. Sadly, it was not to be.

Instead, most editions of the TNIV have been targeted at the youth market, and they've adopted an eccentric typeface that doesn't bother some people but rubs me the wrong way. Everybody who has a "favorite" translation inevitably complains that it doesn't get enough market support from the publisher, but in this case I think TNIV readers have a point. There aren't any "nice" editions available. (The recently released TNIV Reference Bible is a step in the right direction, but it's still only offered in a bonded leather binding -- and that font is back again.)

Finally, though, there is an edition of the TNIV I can recommend wholeheartedly -- and not surprisingly it comes from R. L. Allan's. The Allan's TNIV is a 4.5 x 6.5 inch hardback, about .875 inches thick, featuring a small print, double-column text. The cover is available in four styles: black highland goatskin, imperial purple highland goatskin, cardinal red goatskin, and British tan calfskin. These sell for £50. There's also a French morocco edition for £40. A tabbed closure keeps the silk-lined cover secure. According to the description at Bibles-Direct.com, these editions have two ribbon markers; mine only came with one.

Above: No, this photo wasn't taken with the Bible flat on a table. The spine elevated, but the cover doesn't flex. It's a hardback, after all!

I'll admit that a small leather-clad hardback didn't sound too appealing at first. The reason I'm a fanatical Allan's enthusiast is that their bindings are so luxurious, so flexible. A hardback defeats the purpose, doesn't it? Well, here's the thing. Flexibility isn't everything. As sacrilegious as it sounds coming from me, I've become quite a fan of hardback editions, especially the smaller ones.

Above: An assortment of handy hardbacks. The discontinued TruGlo ESV (left), a Trinitarian Bible Society KJV (center), and a Collins UK ESV (right).

Why? They're perfect for carrying in a briefcase or book bag, since rigid cover helps protect the pages, and they tend to open flatter than comparably sized leather-bound editions. The Allan's TNIV offers these benefits while transforming them into something truly elegant. It isn't as trend-conscious as so many of the youth-oriented editions from Zondervan, but it's not a Big Black Attack Bible, either. In the cardinal red goatskin I chose, it looks like an upscale notebook or diary.

As nice as it is, I wouldn't think twice about sliding it into my satchel as a go-anywhere edition. The Allan's TNIV is perfect for that assignment.

Above: The Allan's TNIV fits perfectly into the front pocket of the Stanley Compact Briefbag from Levenger.

The text block is from Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, and while the type is definitely small, the font is a conventional serif. If your eyes can handle the tiny print characteristic of Bibles this size, you won't have anything to complain about where the design is concerned. I find it perfectly readable. Of course, my relief that it isn't the same font used in the Zondervan editions amps up my satisfaction a couple of notches.

When it comes to things like tabs, zippers and snaps securing a Bible cover, I tend to be wary. As a young boy, I had a zippered Bible, and I still remember what a disadvantage it was when we did "sword drills" in Sunday School. I could never race to the passage as quickly as the kids without zippers in the way -- and those little brass teeth sure could chafe. Later, I used a small Cambridge with a snap closure and preferred it to the zipper, but the flap of leather still got in the way. Before the Allan's TNIV, I'd only used one Bible with a tab closure and found that it didn't like to stay closed. So I was curious to know how this one would perform.

As tabs go, the one on the Allan's TNIV is well designed. It's wide and flat. Since the loop is also tight, there's enough friction to keep the tab from working loose. If you don't pull it free, it stays closed. This keeps the covers tight and helps protect the pages. The only drawback is that when the Bible is open, that little free-flying tab can sometimes get in the way. It wasn't long before I got used to it, though -- and compared to zippers and snap-flaps, it is much less intrusive.

The interesting thing about the Allan's TNIV is that, in spite of the goatskin cover and the watered silk lining, this isn't a very "formal" edition. It's accessible -- almost casual -- in a way that its opulently flexible kindred really aren't. Maybe it's the hardback cover and the tab closure. Maybe it's the leather grain or the fact that I opted for the cardinal red. Whatever the reason, this edition seems . . . fun. I find myself showing it off. My wife, who by this time has developed a certain tolerance for long, one-sided conversations about the merits of this or that Bible, was actually impressed for once.

As you would expect, the Allan's TNIV opens flat. Since it's so small and thin, it lacks the weight of, say, the Allan's ESV, so when I set it down on the table, it doesn't lapse into repose quite so freely. Where it shines is in the hand. I find myself holding it one-handed, with three fingers on one side supporting the spine while my thumb and pinkie on the other anchor the pages. This is how I'd hold a novel, but of course it doesn't always work with a big, floppy Bible.

Perhaps the coolest feature of the Allan's TNIV is the inside pocket. It's located inside the front cover, and measures 2 inches deep. For the photo, I folded over a church brochure and slipped it inside, but you know what this pocket would be perfect for? Carrying a Bible reading plan.

Above: A good place to slip a paper or two when out and about. The pocket can also be used in church to conceal small pieces of chewing gum -- how's that for targeting the youth market?

The silk lining really works in this format. I expressed some skepticism about in reviewing the rebinding project Paul Sawyer did for Matt Morales, and it may be that silk linings and floppy leather covers don't go together. But they certain add some class to this little hardback. They make a slight swishing sound when you flex the closed Bible in your hand, too.

Having said all this, the question is: would I recommend the Allan's TNIV? I would. If you're using the TNIV extensively, then you'll probably want the TNIV Reference Bible as a main edition (you can always have that bonded leather cover replaced, and the font isn't as ghastly as I make out once you're used to it). But for everyday use -- especially carry -- the Allan's TNIV is the best available. If you don't use the TNIV but would like to check it out, perhaps the thought of an Allan's edition is such an usual yet practical format will sway you.

All I know is, the next time I get an e-mail complaining there are no "nice" editions of the TNIV available, I will have to disagree. The Allan's TNIV is superb. I'll be reading a lot of more of the TNIV, I suspect -- assuming my wife doesn't confiscate this edition first!

Comments

[David Swain]

Mark,

Do you know what point size the font is by chance? TIA

[J. Mark Bertrand]

I'm afraid I don't know the point size, and it's hard to guess because point sizes aren't uniform across fonts. But I'd say it's in the same range as the Personal Reference ESV, so maybe 7-ish to 8-ish? Don't quote me on that, though.

[David Swain]

Thanks!

[Mark (the other one)]

In the last couple days I've become fixated on the design of a Bible's spine.

Maybe it's because the ESV Personal Reference spine design looks so cluttered. (Does one Bible's spine really need to tell me three times what translation is held inside?)

This one, as with most RL Allan designs, is classic.

[Nick Mackison]

Mark,
Great review. I'm going to get one!

Do you know if Cambridge Bibles have any new editions of the TNIV on the way?

[Kevin Sam]

This is a great looking bible. Does RL Allan produce a TNIV reference edition? I would like to get one so I'm considering TNIV Reference Bible or this one.

btw, great blog Mark.

[Nathan Stitt]

I asked Allan's that a week ago Kevin. They told me there are no plans for any further TNIV bibles besides these, but that I could check back in three months to see if they are offering something after all.

[Marion Hawkins]

Mark,
Great review as always. How does the readability of the font and page presentation compare to Cambridge's Pitt Minion series? I wish R.L. Allan would provide a pdf of an interior page of their bibles. One would hate to return a bible to Scotland!

Thanks for providing a great resource. I'm glad to know many others share my passion for great book design and binding especially for the bible!
Marion

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Marion -- Doing an eyeball comparison, I'd say the type in the TNIV is comparable to the Pitt Minion NIV, perhaps a hair smaller. The Pitt Minion uses a slightly thicker type, so it appears a little darker on the page. Obviously, the TNIV is smaller than a Pitt Minion, but they're both paragraphed, double-column settings. The TNIV doesn't have references.

[Marion Hawkins]

Curiously, I found that Cambridge Press (UK not USA) has two TNIV editions.

Personal Text Edition
http://www.cambridge.org/uk/bibles/tniv/personal.htm
Typography: 6/6.5 pt Slimbach
Page size: 156 x 104 mm (6.1 x 4.1 inches)
Page extent: 960 pp.
Spinewidth: 21 mm (0.8 inches)

Popular Text Edition
http://www.cambridge.org/uk/bibles/tniv/popular.htm
Typography: 9/9.5 pt Minion
Page size: 198 x 129mm (7.75 x 5 inches)
Page extent: 1216 pp.
Spinewidth: 29 mm (1.1 inches)

Both Editions are available in black or burgundy French Morocco leather. They can be ordered directly from the Cambridge Press UK website though I'm not sure about overseas shipping.

[Stan]

Please note that currently, to the best of my knowledge, Cambridge Press UK cannot ship the TNIV directly to the US. If you try to order from their website it refers you to Baker Publishing Group and gives you a number to call. You're then told that Baker Publishing Group does not publish the TNIV. Only Zondervan has rights to publish the TNIV in the US.

In the US you have a couple of options. You can order a Zondervan TNIV, the R.L. Allan's described above, or the Cambridge from a third party vendor in Europe.

[Stan]

Mark,

How do rank the paper on this TNIV?

And the font and readability is somewhere in between the Personal Reference ESV and the Pitt Minnion?

I wish Zondervan would put out something great.

Thanks.

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Stan, paper has to be really good or really bad for me to notice, so I'm probably not the best judge. I'd say the paper is good. Not outstanding -- you don't open it up and say, "Wow, look at the paper!" But it's not bad. You can judge the opacity yourself in the photos.

[Cristian Franco (Argentina)]

Friend, you can buy the Cambridge TNIV through Amazon.co.uk. I buy the popular one around a year and a half ago, and I received it in Argentina. Amazon.com from USA doesn't sell it. Also, I buy the TNIV form R.L.Allan's (Highland black) and I agree with Mark: it's excellent! But, I wish that - in the near future - they publish it with flexible cover (goatskin also, of course). TNIV is perfect for people like me, who has English as a Second Language.

[David N]

Hey Mark. I just found your site yesterday while searching (I assumed hopelessly) for a Cambridge ESV. It's comforting to finally know that there are other "Bible collectors" out there. I own at least one copy of every translation, although most of them are cheap (bonded leather, paperback). The first time I ever spent more than $50 on a Bible was when I recently bought Crossway's Classic Reference ESV in Cordovan Calfskin. I might be hooked on expensive Bibles now! (which isn't good, since I'm a poor college student!)

I just have to ask you a question: Did you go to the Sioux Falls URC? I noticed the paper in the inside pocket. My home church is a URC, and I also attended Dordt College for one year, so I'm quite curious.