I didn't manage to finish this, but what I did read was very interesting. It's neat to see how words went back and forth across the English Channel and the different approaches to standardizing the language, as well as the etymology behind common place names in England and France. And as an Anglophone, I liked reading a Francophone perspective on the English language. I could live without the interactive activities, although nerdier language buffs than me might find them fun to do. Recommended particularly for translators whose working languages include English and French, and people who like to read about the history of a language. ( )

Often interesting in presenting the parallel mutual influences of the French and English languages from their earliest days, and useful for its references to early writers and thinkers, the book is flawed by a certain amount of repetition, by populist asides and distracting visuals. Still, valuable for bibliographical notes. ( )