Holy Bible by Robert Aitken. Arno Press. 1968. 4 3/4" x 7 3/4" Hardcover with no dust jacket. Brown leatherette with a black published label on the spine and bright gilt lettering on the spine and front cover. There are two dings on the top of the spine and some wear and bumping o the bottom of the spine. There is rubbing on both front and back covers none of which breaks the cover surface. I see some very light water droplet stains on the top of the page block which cause no change in the paper integrity. Otherwise, no previous owner markings. No tears, folds or creases to pages. Binding is tight with no looseness to pages. Not ex-library and not remaindered. This is a facsimile reprint of the original Aitken Bible with an additional forward, historical preface and bibliography. For sale by Jon Wobber, bookseller since 1978. KH23a
I have seen two editions of the Aitken Bible on line - a two volume edition and this complete bible one volume edition. Apparently there was a four volume edition too. I do not know which came first. - Jon Wobber
"The Aitken Bible of 1782 was reviewed, approved, and recommended, and Aitken was authorized to publish the recommendation by the Congress of the Confederation. The Bible was reviewed first for accuracy by the Congressional Chaplains White and Duffield and they reported on its accuracy. Then the Journals of Congress for September 1782 records on page 469:
"Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled, highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as the progress of the arts in this country, and being satisfied from the above report, of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper."[5][6]
Due to the severing of trade with England due to war, Aitken undertook in 1781 to supply a complete English Bible made in America and sought the official sanction of Congress for the publication of his edition. Congress passed a resolution officially authorizing its recommendation of the edition in September 1782. Known as the “Aitken Bible,” this was the first and only edition of the Bible ever bearing a recommendation authorized by Congress. Aitken later reported to George Washington that he lost money on the venture due to cheap imported Bibles flooding back into the American market after the war.[1]
Although it is widely claimed that Aitken's Bible was the first complete English version published in America, reportedly an earlier one had been published in 1752 by Boston publishers Kneeland and Green, but it bore a counterfeit "London" imprint to evade the crown copyright restrictions.[7]" - Wikipedia