A brilliant history of the evolution of the English language. This is the extraordinary tale of a language that came from nowhere to conquer the world. The essential introduction for student and general reader alike.
This book takes you on a series of absorbing journeys across a vast expanse of time, space and terrain - from Anglo-Saxon Britain to Reagan's America. In lively, anecdotal, and informative chapters, the authors show how English moved from the villages of Britain to the New World; how it was carried from slave ships from Africa to America's South; how it was scattered with the soldiers and servants of the British Empire to Australia, Canada, India, and the Far East.
Today, English is the language of international commerce, diplomacy, religion, and the popular arts. 'The Story Of English' is a fascinating, provocative survey of the varieties and idiosyncrasies of what has truly become the first global language.
