The Adventure Of English

The Biography of a Language
Melvyn Bragg's bestselling biography of the English language - a modern classic for fans of Neil MacGregor and Simon Jenkins

'Superb'
Spectator

'Consistently entertaining'
Independent

'Impressive and sage'
New Statesman

'Bragg's affection for his subject is infectious'
Observer

English is the collective work of millions of people throughout the ages. It is democratic, ever-changing and ingenious in its assimilation of other cultures. English runs through the heart of world finance, medicine and the Internet, and it is understood by around two thousand million people across the world. Yet it was very nearly wiped out in its early years.

In this book Melvyn Bragg shows us the remarkable story of the English language; from its beginnings as a minor guttural Germanic dialect to its position today as a truly established global language. The Adventure of English is not only an enthralling story of power, religion and trade, but also the story of people, and how their day-to-day lives shaped and continue to change the extraordinary language that is English.

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