For the Christian, the gospels are the most important books in the world. Modern scholarship has thrown a flood of light on the making and the meaning of these books, and Professor Barclay renders 'an immense service both to students and to 'general' readers by summing up all the most important points made in a century of investigation and discussion of Mark, Matthew and Luke. He has made his learning as a scholar and his experience as a teacher and preacher available to a wide public.