The Last Days of Jesus: His Life and Times - Hardcover

O'Reilly, Bill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805098771 ISBN 13: 9780805098778

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2014

Synopsis

Two thousand years ago, Jesus walked across Galilee; everywhere he traveled he gained followers. His contemporaries are familiar historical figures: Julius Caesar, Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate. It was an era of oppression, when every man, woman, and child answered to the brutal rule of Rome. In this world, Jesus lived, and in this volatile political and historical context, Jesus died―and changed the world forever.
Adapted from Bill O'Reilly's bestselling historical thriller Killing Jesus, and richly illustrated, The Last Days of Jesus is a riveting, fact-based account of the life and times of Jesus.

About this title

About the Authors

BILL O’REILLY’s success in broadcasting and publishing is unmatched. He was the iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor, the highest-rated cable news broadcast in the nation for 16 consecutive years. His website BillOReilly.com is followed by millions all over the world, his No Spin News is broadcast weekday nights at 8 and 11 (ET) on The First TV, and his O’Reilly Update is heard weekdays on more than 225 radio stations across the country. He has authored an astonishing seventeen #1 bestsellers; his historical Killing series is the bestselling nonfiction series of all time, with over 18 million books in print. O’Reilly has received a number of journalism accolades, including three Emmys and two Emmy nominations. He holds a History degree from Marist College, a master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University, and a master’s degree from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. O’Reilly lives on Long Island where he was raised. His philanthropic enterprises have raised tens of millions for people in need and wounded American veterans.

William Low is the author and illustrator of Chinatown and Old Penn Station, as well as a four-time Silver Medal winner at the Society of Illustrators.

Reviews

Gr 4–9—The title of this illustrated, ineptly condensed version of O'Reilly's bestselling adult book Killing Jesus (Holt, 2013) is misleading; the book is actually a pseudo-biography of Jesus Christ from birth to death, with as much material on his youth and ministry as on his final week. O'Reilly's audience is uncertain. He confusingly begins with Jesus's presentation at the temple and the visit of the Magi, omitting the basics of the Christmas narrative, and ends with the empty tomb—no Easter resurrection here (even though it's identified in the afterword as "the core of the Christian church"). O'Reilly also states that Jesus's miracles were "stories" or "puzzling events" and that Jesus only claimed to be God's son but was actually Joseph's child, which may offend Christians. The volume's other flaws make it unacceptable as history. For instance, the "Note to Readers" asserts this is a "fact-based book about Jesus the man," but the book combines information with supposition and a lot of storytelling. The latter is based on the New Testament gospels (although no scriptural citations are provided), attributing emotions and motives to the main players. Even the genuine data is not documented, so it's uncertain where O'Reilly's details come from. His writing can't save the book—he annoyingly switches between present and past tense, sometimes in the same sentence. At least the numerous illustrations have some merit. For an alternative, try Lois Rock's The Lion Encyclopedia of Jesus (Lion, 2011), for younger readers, which does an excellent job of tying Jesus's life to modern Christian practices.—Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805098771
• ISBN 13: 9780805098778
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Low William
• Number of pages: 320