Melvyn Bragg's superb new history of the English language is told as an adventure story, and rightly so. There is much splendid intellectual firepower in this book.

Andrew Roberts, Spectator

Concise as well as learned...Melvyn Bragg takes the high road and strides confidently through the origins and growth of English. It gives us an impressive and sage view of the big picture.

Robert Winder, New Statesman

Bragg is an expert translator in areas that academics find difficult to popularise...he produces a pithy, accessible narrative.

Guardian

Se alle

This breathless tale of the English language is one of struggle, resilience and triumph

Irish Times

Beautifully clear and, indeed, thrilling

Waterstone's Books Quarterly

Bragg's approachable account gleams with little gems. It has power and clarity...rewarding.

Sunday Herald

Always readable, often thought-provoking, and consistently entertaining.

Independent

This is a highly readable, jargon-free treatise on a notoriously prickly subject. Bragg's affection for his subject is infectious. In this he successfully joins a long tradition of gentleman enthusiasts from peppery Dr Johnson to genial James Murray.

Observer

'Superb'Spectator'Consistently entertaining'Independent'Impressive and sage'New Statesman'Bragg's affection for his subject is infectious'ObserverEnglish is the collective work of millions of people throughout the ages. It is democratic, ever-changing and ingenious in its assimilation of other cultures. English runs through the heart of world finance, medicine and the Internet, and it is understood by around two thousand million people across the world. Yet it was very nearly wiped out in its early years.In this book Melvyn Bragg shows us the remarkable story of the English language; from its beginnings as a minor guttural Germanic dialect to its position today as a truly established global language. The Adventure of English is not only an enthralling story of power, religion and trade, but also the story of people, and how their day-to-day lives shaped and continue to change the extraordinary language that is English.
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Melvyn Bragg's bestselling biography of the English language - a modern classic for fans of Neil MacGregor and Simon Jenkins
Melvyn Bragg's superb new history of the English language is told as an adventure story, and rightly so. There is much splendid intellectual firepower in this book.
Melvyn Bragg's superb new history of the English language is told as an adventure story, and rightly so. There is much splendid intellectual firepower in this book. - Andrew Roberts, SpectatorConcise as well as learned...Melvyn Bragg takes the high road and strides confidently through the origins and growth of English. It gives us an impressive and sage view of the big picture. - Robert Winder, New StatesmanBragg is an expert translator in areas that academics find difficult to popularise...he produces a pithy, accessible narrative. - GuardianThis breathless tale of the English language is one of struggle, resilience and triumph - Irish TimesBeautifully clear and, indeed, thrilling - Waterstone's Books QuarterlyBragg's approachable account gleams with little gems. It has power and clarity...rewarding. - Sunday HeraldAlways readable, often thought-provoking, and consistently entertaining. - IndependentThis is a highly readable, jargon-free treatise on a notoriously prickly subject. Bragg's affection for his subject is infectious. In this he successfully joins a long tradition of gentleman enthusiasts from peppery Dr Johnson to genial James Murray. - Observer
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Melvyn Bragg's fascinating biography of the English language

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780340829936
Publisert
2005
Utgiver
Vendor
Sceptre
Vekt
300 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
130 mm
Dybde
28 mm
Aldersnivå
00, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
368

Forfatter

Om bidragsyterne

Melvyn Bragg is a writer and broadcaster whose first novel, For Want of a Nail, was published in 1965. His novels since include The Maid of Buttermere, The Soldier's Return, A Son of War, Credo and Now is the Time, which won the Parliamentary Book Award for fiction in 2016. His books have also been awarded the Time/Life Silver Pen Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the WHSmith Literary Award, and have been longlisted three times for the Booker Prize (including the Lost Man Booker Prize).
He has also written several works of non-fiction, including The Adventure of English and The Book of Books about the King James Bible.
He lives in London and Cumbria.