Marvellous… An <b>unmissable, wonderful </b>achievement
- Stephen Fry,
Proof that not only do our words have extraordinary lives, but so do the people who have documented them for us. <b>A lively, entertaining, and illuminating read. I loved it</b>
- Susie Dent,
<b>Brilliant</b>
- Philippa Perry,
<b>Utterly fascinating, entertaining, astonishing </b>and<b> as clever as a box of monkeys</b>... I am bowled over by Sarah Ogilvie's book and every home should have a copy.<b> I completely love it</b>
Joanna Lumley
<b>Astonishing</b>
Kathryn Hughes, The Sunday Times
Who knew such mysteries lay behind the Oxford English Dictionary? This is a <b>fascinating, unique and original</b> book which uncovers the people behind the words. <b>A jaw-dropping cross-section of society are revealed for the first time in all their complexity</b>
Janina Ramirez, author of Femina
<b>Fascinating</b>
Observer
<b>Exquisitely written</b> ... A <b>lively, funny book</b> full of eccentrics
Jamaica Kincaid
<i>The Dictionary People</i> is <b>a fascinating read</b> for anyone with an interest in dictionaries, social history or just people. <b>Sarah Ogilvie has found a great subject and done it justice</b>
Literary Review
<b>Enthralling and exuberant, </b>Sarah Ogilvie tells the surprising story of the making of the OED. Philologists, fantasists, crackpots, criminals, career spinsters, suffragists, and Australians: <b>here is a wonder-book for word-lovers</b>
Jeanette Winterson
I love words and I cherish my OED ... having the background of it explained was <b>fascinating</b>
Val McDermid
The OED is an epic, crowdsourced attempt to pin down slippery, evolving language; <b>this book tells the fascinating story of its eclectic and unsung contributors</b>
Financial Times, *Books of the Year*
Not just a comprehensive description of the dictionary, but also <b>a companion to the Victorian intellectual landscape</b>
Times Literary Supplement
'An <b>erudite and vivid</b> exploration of the origins of the OED in the first crowdsourcing of contributions from thousands of individuals - including murderers, lunatics and cannibals. <b>Marvellous, witty and wholly original'</b>
Alan Rusbridger
<b>Full of determination and eccentricity ... Ogilvie's enthusiasm ... is infectious, and this book is a delight to read</b>
Booklist