Bruce was significant because in a time when the academic community looked down upon Evangelicals, he demonstrated that worthwhile academic work could be done by an Evangelical. At the same time, he persuaded Evangelicals that they should not turn their backs on academic methods of Bible study, even if the results might differ from traditional evangelical views. "In Retrospect" paints a memorable picture of F. F. Bruce's childhood in northern Scotland, his academic training at Aberdeen, Cambridge, and Vienna, and his career. His amazing memory is demonstrated in the book's details; his delightful sense of humor in its stories of friends, and acquaintances; his equanimity in its accounts of academia and evangelicalism; and his spiritual heritage as one of the Brethren, a network of local assemblies. His modesty and reserve also come through in that he tells less than many readers would like to know about his own spiritual experience and his family life.