The Story of English

by McCrum, Robert; MacNeil, Robert; Cran, William

• ISBN13: 9780142002315
• ISBN10: 0142002313
• Additional ISBN(s): 9781585677191
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: PENGUIN BOOKS
• More Book Details

Summary

Now revised, The Story of Englishis the first book to tell the whole story of the English language. Originally paired with a major PBS miniseries, this book presents a stimulating and comprehensive record of spoken and written English-from its Anglo-Saxon origins some two thousand years ago to the present day, when English is the dominant language of commerce and culture with more than one billion English speakers around the world. From Cockney, Scouse, and Scots to Gulla, Singlish, Franglais, and the latest African American slang, this sweeping history of the English language is the essential introduction for anyone who wants to know more about our common tongue.

Author Biography

Robert McCrum is the author of six novels and My Year Off: Rediscovering Life After a Stroke. Now literary editor of The Observer, he is working on an authorized biography of P. G. Wodehouse.

Robert MacNeil was the co-anchor of PBS's The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. His books include two volumes of memoirs and three novels including his latest, Breaking News.

William Cran is the executive producer for the television series The Story of English.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	p. ix
New Introduction to the Third Edition	p. xi
Introduction: Speaking of English	p. 1
An English-Speaking World	p. 9
The Mother Tongue	p. 46
A Muse of Fire	p. 90
The Guid Scots Tongue	p. 130
The Loaded Weapon	p. 170
Black on White	p. 209
Pioneers! O Pioneers!	p. 251
The Echoes of an English Voice	p. 293
The New Englishes	p. 337
Next Year's Words	p. 375
Notes and Sources	p. 395
Select Bibliography	p. 437
Acknowledgements	p. 439
Index	p. 441
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