This man makes me sick! Each week upon Radio 4, he discusses an esoteric subject which somehow turns out to be absolutely fascinating. Surrounded by experts, Bragg stays in control of the conversation and, in this book, he takes on the history of the English language.
Now, let us be honest, there are only two ways to do this subject: firstly, one could take the boring but educative line. This would lead to three hundred pages of tediously presented knowledge. The second method is the chatty,friendly version; a lot of fun to read but, at the end has one learned anything? Probably not.
Why can someone not conjoin the two styles and write an entertaining AND informative book? The answer is because few people have that amount of talent: Bragg does.
This is, by far, the best book that I have read this year - and I have perused a few good 'uns. The history is faultless and I learned an enormous amount. If I were to be critical, it would be the final chapter when Bragg looks to the future and tries to guess where English will go next. He accurately picks up upon the variation which is coming into English from its presence in many varied countries but, fails to mention the conjoining of the youth of these countries via the internet.
This is a minor flaw, if flaw it is, in a work that more than accomplishes its main goal. I want a sixth (and probably a seventh) star in the ratings box. ( )

Excellent introduction to the subject, well written highly recommended. ( )

http://pixxiefishbooks.blogspot.com/2...

I kept seeing this book in the English-language section of one of the bookstores in nearby Nagoya, and finally I had to buy it. And man, what a compelling read!

As the title suggests, Melvyn Bragg has set out to give us a history of the English language. But far from being dry and pedantic, he has a humorous, often light-hearted twist on the story. He gives further details where needed, and glosses over other parts of the story when they are not key to the advancement of the telling. (A skill I sorely lack.) The result is a thoroughly entertaining read about an important movement in history - the development and entrenchment of the English language across large swathes of the world.

Obviously, this book is a little Euro- ethnocentric, but, well, it is about the English language specifically (not just language in general), so that's hardly avoidable. While he sometimes explodes into overblown grandeur, overall Bragg does a good job of recognizing his bias (and, indeed, the bias of the language itself).

This book is apparently at least based in part on a television documentary (I think for the BBC) that Bragg did a few years earlier, but that's all I know. ( )

Fascinating! It is truly a biography of the English language, tracing it from its first beginnings, through invasions that threatened to end the language, to modern-day English. It is very detailed, with more examples than the ordinary reader probably needs or wants, but you can always skip over some of the examples.

It will take me forever to finish, as I need to read it slowly to take it all in. Plus I'll probably read dozens of fiction books while still reading this one. I am savoring it. It's fantastic! ( )

In scholarly and lively fashion, Bragg traces the development of the English language from the first arrival here of Germanic tribes, and Anglo-Saxon scripts, to `coca-colonisation' and texting, taking in on the way literature, dialects. accents, bowdlerisation, class, international influences, industry, sci/tech, the internet.
Some apposite quotes are irresistible. As Norman French came to dominate the language in the 13th century `There was, however, a fifth column: English women (through intermarriage); in the 16th century `Poetry became the benchmark for English'; with the rise of Jane Austen, `An unofficial academy of language was developed through the novel'; `Mrs Beeton could not bring herself to write the word "trousers"'. There are beautiful illustrations, from early manuscripts to phorographs of jazz, jitterbugging and Singaporean comics.
A long and fascinating read for lovers of the language.

I'm a fiend for facts about language, and I normally enjoy books like this. Although I did learn many interesting things about the nature and history of our mongrel language, I found the book less than totally engaging. I spent about a month picking away at it, and finally finished it during a 3am battle with insomnia. I didn't dog ear a single page, and I never felt the need to pick up a highlighter, which means nothing in here really captured my imagination. ( )

I listened to this book in audio form. The reader, Robert Powell, did a great job with the multiple languages, dialects, and accents encountered throughout the book. I am certain that this made for a better experience than reading it might have been.

Okay, so I'm going to admit it wasn't exactly riveting. The very beginning of the book was good, and then I lost interest until we got to Chaucer's Middle English. The best parts were the forays into and the legitimization of the various modern dialects such as Creole, Gullah, and Jamaican Patois, and the origins of words like khaki, mustard, and kangaroo. When I got to the part about "text" (C U L8TR) - I was psyched because I knew then that the book was written recently enough to include a discussion of ebonics -- but it never came! I think this was a grave oversight in a work that is otherwise exhaustive.

All in all, I recommend this bookto pretty much anyone. It's not the stuffy tome you might expect (there is even a section on "curse" words, though none that I found offensive). There's history, sociology, linguistics, and trivia. It's not a beach read, and it's not terribly suspenseful, but good solid information well presented. ( )

A wonderful read. This book is extremely informative and, as far as histories of languages go, quite exciting! The research is very thorough and the presentation is excellent. Though the book was purchased out of a general and fairly scholarly interest, it turned out to be one of my favorite reads. Not only is the history very thorough, but the inclusion of anecdotal gems gives the book a feel of true adventure. The subject is not often one that can be called "adventurous" or "exciting", but Bragg does wonders in turning his wealth of information into a very interesting book. ( )

Interminable... I've just had to put it down so many times... I've read several other books in the interim.

I've just felt that The Adventures of English was so all over the place.. and every so often there would just be these lists... of words..... There's no way I will remember any of these.

He goes on about all the heroic actions the language has accomplished and about how its fought battles with nations and the church and so on.... No it hasn't! The author (too often) ineffectually used this anthropomorphism to exaggerate the accomplishments of a language, when in fact, sight is lost of the obvious fact that it was the people speaking the language who did all the adventuring. They could have accomplished the same thing speaking Sanskrit. ( )

Billions of people, including myself, speak English every day but we never really think about where the language comes from. What influenced it? What changes did it go through? What challenges did English face throughout the ages? Who were its friends and its enemies? Melvyn Bragg covers all these areas and a whole lot more.

Bragg tells us how English is mainly made up of French, Latin, Dutch (Frisian) and even some Arabic. We begin with the years leading up to 1066AD, with the Vikings, the Celts and other foreign invaders who attempted to impose their language upon the lands which are now the British Isles. We begin to see the first signs of English breaking through, despite the iron grip which Latin & French seems to have in everyday life. Latin is dominant in the Church and with educated intellectuals, while French controls the Monarchy and everyday government affairs. Then we start to see what would become "Old English" and throughout the centuries, a variety of influences would shape English into what it is today, thanks to contributions from stalwarts such as Shakespeare & Chaucer.

English then goes over the water into the "New World", the Pilgrims landing in America with their strict religious views and their determination to make English the dominant language in America, despite their being other nationalities in America - again the French, the Dutch, the Portugese even. But eventually English wins the day and takes its rightful place in the world.

After reading this book, you will develop a new appreciation for the English language and the battles it had to go through to get to where it is today. Complete with illustrations, this book is probably the best book available on the history of the English language. Easy to read, a joy to read, and a fountain of information and knowledge. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ( )

http://tristram.squarespace.com/home/... ( )

I am no linguist, but found this book absolutely fascinating. Bragg manages to treat the English language as an entity which goes on the most amazing adventure. All English teachers should have a copy and children should be encouraged to read this at school. The language is accessible, easy to read and very exciting. I love the way that Melvyn Bragg brings what would appear to be difficult subjects into the realm of the average lay person. A great a piece of writing. ( )

Geeks unite! This book is one for us. But don't try to make small-talk about it; in fact, it's best to keep it hidden away in your purse, and don't read it on the bus unless prepared for strange looks. ( )

Overall I thought this book was interesting. I mainly read it traveling on planes and that helped get me through some chapters where I felt it dragged.

Even though I teach English as a foreign language, I don't know a great amount about my own language - how old it is, from where it sprang, how it has evolved. This book goes a long way to remedying my lack of knowledge.

For instance, I had always imagined English to be a language most heavily informed by Latin, but really it is French that gave us the majority of our loan words, and the Danes our grammar. Latin was only poached a thousand years after the Romans left, during an enlightened, classical period when everything Latin suddenly became fresh and interesting.

Bragg's writing is clear and intellectual. He includes lists of new words, and lays out the evolution of the English language very neatly. I shall certainly be keeping it handy as a reference for teaching. ( )

Billions of people, including myself, speak English every day but we never really think about where the language comes from. What influenced it? What changes did it go through? What challenges did English face throughout the ages? Who were its friends and its enemies? Melvyn Bragg covers all these areas and a whole lot more.

Bragg tells us how English is mainly made up of French, Latin, Dutch (Frisian) and even some Arabic. We begin with the years leading up to 1066AD, with the Vikings, the Celts and other foreign invaders who attempted to impose their language upon the lands which are now the British Isles. We begin to see the first signs of English breaking through, despite the iron grip which Latin & French seems to have in everyday life. Latin is dominant in the Church and with educated intellectuals, while French controls the Monarchy and everyday government affairs. Then we start to see what would become "Old English" and throughout the centuries, a variety of influences would shape English into what it is today, thanks to contributions from stalwarts such as Shakespeare & Chaucer.

English then goes over the water into the "New World", the Pilgrims landing in America with their strict religious views and their determination to make English the dominant language in America, despite their being other nationalities in America - again the French, the Dutch, the Portugese even. But eventually English wins the day and takes its rightful place in the world.

After reading this book, you will develop a new appreciation for the English language and the battles it had to go through to get to where it is today. Complete with illustrations, this book is probably the best book available on the history of the English language. Easy to read, a joy to read, and a fountain of information and knowledge. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ( )