Joseph A. Fitzmyer (Editor)
The Acts of the Apostles.
Yale University Press, 1998. The Anchor Yale Bible, No. 31. "A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary" First edition. 9780300139822 xxxi/830 pages.
Softcover volume, measuring approximately 6" x 9.25", shows shelfwear, with some faint staining to bottom edge of text block and bottom of fore edge of the same. Minor crease can be seen at bottom of spine. Binding is sound. Preliminary pages exhibit faint moisture markings at bottom edge, as do bottom edge of index pages. Interior is otherwise clean and bright. Two maps appear at front of volume. 
"For anyone interested in the origins of Christianity, Joseph A. Fitzmyer's "The Acts of the Apostles" is indispensable. Beginning with the Ascension of Christ into heaven, and ending with Paul proclaiming the kingdom of God from a prison in Rome, this New Testament narrative picks up where the "Gospel of Luke" left off. "The Acts of the Apostles" is indeed a journey of nearly epic proportions - and one that requires a guide as adept as Fitzmyer. Since "Acts" was most likely written by the same person who composed the "Gospel of Luke", it is only fitting that the "Anchor Bible Commentaries" on these New Testament books should be written by the same author. With "The Acts of the Apostles", Fitzmyer gives readers the long-awaited companion to his two-volume commentary on the "Gospel of Luke". The Four Gospels recount the life and teachings of Jesus, but only the book of the "Acts of the Apostles" tells the story of what happened after Jesus' departure. In this second of St. Luke's two-volume work, he picks up with Jesus saying farewell to his followers; then Luke tells the fast-paced story of the birth and growth of the early church. This narrative reads like a major breaking news story, with the apostles Peter and Paul as the main characters.The interpretation of "Acts" requires a scholar of the highest quality. As he demonstrates in "The Acts of the Apostles", Joseph Fitzmyer not only is up to the task but establishes once again why he is ranked among the world's top biblical scholars. Far from being a rehash of old ideas and well-rehearsed theories, Fitzmyer's commentary distinguishes itself as the capstone of his career, with a new synthesis of all the relevant data from the Roman world to the present. He provides a thorough introduction to the background, text, and context of the book, as well as chapter-by-chapter notes and comments in which are offered insights and answers to questions that have long plagued preachers and parishioners, teachers and students. This commentary is destined to join Fitzmyer's "Anchor Bible" commentaries on the "Gospel According to Luke" and the "Epistle to the Romans" as the most authoritative commentary available on "Acts"."