"A thorough survey of this scholarship on these two fascinating apocryphal/deuterocanonical books that appear in the Septuagint, the Vulgate and the Tridentine Roman Catholic canon, giving his own opinion as well on matters of dating, authorship, structure, thematic concerns, texts and versions...Not intent on writing a commentary on these books, he traces the development of critical opinion on all matters, taking the trouble to distinguish between Protestant and Roman Catholic positions. Several bibliographies, indexes, some tables, and suggestions in each chapter for further reading help make the slim volume reader-friendly... Otzen's meticulous study is a sound introduction to these two pieces of religious creative writing." Robert C. Hill, University of Sydney, Australia, Heythrop Journal