very beautiful I ordered the journal in "iudaea" and it is very colorful and intricate; the description given above is right on; there is a little pocket in one of the covers and it's stiched so that it lays flat;Little aspects of the painting/picture on the cover have reflective gold;On the inside back cover is a brief history of the Kells. This is very beautiful and bound to "wow" someone as a gift. – Amber, 2008-06-13

Book of Kells Beautifully bound and excellent craftsmanship. For anyone that has need for a new BOS this is both beautiful and practical. – Jean, 2008-08-13

Beautifully hand crafted and high quality I got the "Iudaea" journal. I expected from the other reviews that the journal would be very appealing to the eye but when I received it in the mail and tore open the box in anticipation, I was blown away by how absolutely beautiful the cover is. The picture does not do it justice. It's extremely detailed and intricate and the gold stitchings on the design really add to it's appeal. I'm kind of a journal snob and the hardcover and thick pages make me happy, as well. It's so pretty in fact, that I'm afraid to use it for what I intended, which was for recipes. Forbid I ever get food on it. Also, it's very practical that the binding allows the journal to open perfectly flat. Anyone who does a lot of writing by hand knows how terribly annoying it is to have to constantly push back pages that keep trying to close on you. The shipping for the item was prompt and I was also surprised at how professional the packaging is. I also received a catalog with more of their products and intend to make future purchases from this company. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to pay almost 20 dollars for a journal but bought it anyway. I'm pleased with the journal and feel it was completely worth the amount I spent. – E.S., 2008-09-16

Beautiful I purchased two of these and will be ordering another. I ordered The Four Evangelists as a gift to a fried who teaches writing and I ordered Iudaea for me. I am writing a journal for my grand children. The books arrived in beautiful condition and promptly. There is a pocket in the back for "special" items and there is a description of the decoration of the cover from the Book of Kells. Another Irish friend will be receiving hers soon. Thank you. – Kathleen Connor Rice, 2009-08-28

Exquisite Absolutely beautiful book. I will no doubt order more. – Linda, 2010-01-13