The Surgeon of Crowthorne

Simon Winchester (author)

Penguin Books, UK: 1998; 207pp

ISBN: 0140271287

Genres: autobiography, English, History, realistic fiction

Issues: communication,friendship, giftedness

advanced vocabulary

Have you ever thought about how that dictionary – the one that sits on your desk and that you take so much for granted – how that exceptionally useful volume came into being? Have you ever considered where the boundaries of the English language lie? For those who have brought their minds to bear on these chicken and egg type questions and to encourage those who haven't, Simon Winchester has brought to life the men who
spent lifetimes gathering, collating and organising the vast compendium that has become the definitive reference for all users of English: The Complete Oxford English Dictionary.

He introduces us to the two men who, more than any others, were central to the creation of this essential work: Dr James Murray, scholar and editor of the OED for most of his life, and Dr W. C. Minor, American Civil War surgeon who became a homicidal lunatic. From his asylum he made more contributions to the OED than any other and in such an organised and efficient manner as to arouse the admiration and gratitude of those working on the dictionary. The events that brought these two men together are told here with respect for the facts, but also an awed passion for the epic journey that built that cornerstone of the English language, The Oxford English Dictionary.

It makes fascinating reading and there will be few readers who are ever able to look at any dictionary the same way again! This is a must read for all lovers of the English language, anyone who has ever blithely used a dictionary, or those who are simply collectors of fascinating minutiae.

Same author: The Map That Changed the World