NASB Diadem Reference Edition, Dark Brown Edge-Lined Calfskin Leather, Red-letter Text, NS545:XRE

(I won't be reviewing the translation - just the specs) I've spent many years (and more money on premium Bibles than I care to admit) looking for the perfect Bible and I believe I've found it in this one. First, the layout of the Bible is so versatile. Good for personal reading, preaching/teaching, and carrying around. An underrated quality of the text is the amount of words per line. They seem to have picked it perfectly so the text is well spaced and easy to read for its size. It's a classic reference Bible that does everything you want in a reference Bible (center column cross references, concordance, etc.) perfectly. If you've owned a pitt minion and wanted something in same format and nearly as portable this is the Bible for you. Finally, the real star of this Bible (other than the inspired text, obv) is the calfskin cover. I've owned several premium Bibles with many different types of leather and this is by the far the best feeling cover I've owned. It is elegant, sturdy, and flexible. A real stunner for sure. As I said before, I've been on the lookout for the perfect Bible and feel that Cambridge have hit is out of the park with the Calfskin Diadem. I do not anticipate buying another general use Bible (study Bibles are a different category) after finding this one.

Boring side note: Bought this Bible on sale on a pure impulse. What I really wanted was the ESV with Apocrypha version, but Amazon had this heavily discounted and I wanted to see if a Diadem layout would work for me. Was not disappointed. It’s absolutely gorgeous, plus it’s incredibly sturdy. It came in clamshell box; soft pliable leather, perimeter stitched (sewn around the edge, the inner liner is not pasted down, but sewn, I’ve had the inter-liner of other books come loose); art gilded edges, meaning the edges look gold when Bible is closed and orange-red when open; 3 red ribbons as markers (very handy). The paper is very easy on the eyes meaning it has a slight creamy hue and you don’t get tired from extensive reading. Has a dedication and family directory section in the front, plus a chronology. And a Concordance and Maps (15 coloured maps) in the back. There are a lot of reference notes and most importantly translator’s notes (the last one is a must when I buy a Bible). My only real complaint is that the font is a bit small and I almost knocked off a star for this, which is why I said 4.5 stars. It says, at the back of the box, that this is a mid-sized, portable Bible, so I’m guessing the Pitt Minon line is their small-size Bible. Be as it may, the font is still a bit small in my experience. Under good lighting it works fine as far as eye strain or loosing yourself is concerned, but you shouldn’t need to jostle for light every time you want to read. Cambridge would probably do well to make their font slightly larger, bolder, darker, or whatever it takes - this is too small. And I get it, it says portable on back of the box and I use it for that (its perfect, perfect, perfect to keep in the box and carry around in a backpack), but I think it could have used a bigger font. Not something you can necessarily use at home for extensive study, but certainly carry around. Still I would recommend this, especially if you’re looking for a portable Bible to carry in a backpack or something. And I may buy the ESV with Apocrypha at some time (price permitting) and may gift this out. Excellent Bible.

It’s a beautiful Bible however the dimensions on the listing are wrong. It’s not almost 7” x 9.29”… it’s more like 5”x7”. Works out because that’s actually what I wanted and couldn’t find it with all my other must haves, so it was a nice surprise.

I have several Cambridge bibles in various translations and mostly goat skin. Since I needed to replace one sold, I opted to buy the calf split edition to replace my goat skin since it was a prime quick delivery and on sale. I was hesitant due to my love of goatskin. Today the calf split arrived and I was pleased that it didn't disappoint. Actually, it will break in nicely and I will not be upping to goat skin because this is high quality all the way around. My applause to Cambridge! A great quality bible at an affordable price. I highly recommend saving your money and buying this bible. I have Allan and other high end bibles and this one holds its own.

There is a reason Cambridge bibles have been around forever. The quality of bibles are great and this enlargement of the Pitt minion to the diadem is so great. 32gsm paper on this Bible with 8.1 size font. This truly is a great Bible. I pray all consider the Cambridge diadem. Great Bible. Wouldn’t preach with it, but would definitely study the Bible with its layout.