The Story of English

Philip Gooden tells the story of the English language in all its richness and variety. From the intriguing origins and changing definitions of common words such as "OK", "beserk", "curfew", "cabal" and "pow-wow", to the massive transformations wrought in the vocabulary and structure of the language by Anglo-Saxon and Norman conquest, to the literary triumphs of Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales and works of Shakespeare, and concluding with a fascinating discussion of the ever shifting nature of buzzwords, taboo words, political correctness and the future of the English language in the 21st century.

This is a fascinating tale of linguistic, social and cultural transformation, and one that is accessibly and authoritatively told by an author in perfect command of his material.