Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by estherscholes
The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language by Melvyn Bragg
4.0
This is a chronological journey through the origins and significant changes of the English language, beginning as far back as any record is possible and observing the challenges met along the way. Almost lost for several centuries, as French and Latin became the official dialect for politics and religion, it was eventually reclaimed by the monarchy, and, through the loss of many lives, the church itself.
Continually reshaped and fed by its interactions with other cultures, Bragg writes abut English as if it is a living being that will not be tamed. Even though it is one of the most complex languages in the world - mainly due to the incalculable amount of influences, regional varieties and changes it has endured - it has come to be arguably the most influential and now most widely used.
I really enjoyed this whirlwind ride through history, realising how many familiar chapters were turning points for our language as well as our story, and going beyond the shores of Britain to see how the language has spread and grown in its richness through its use in other countries too.
Continually reshaped and fed by its interactions with other cultures, Bragg writes abut English as if it is a living being that will not be tamed. Even though it is one of the most complex languages in the world - mainly due to the incalculable amount of influences, regional varieties and changes it has endured - it has come to be arguably the most influential and now most widely used.
I really enjoyed this whirlwind ride through history, realising how many familiar chapters were turning points for our language as well as our story, and going beyond the shores of Britain to see how the language has spread and grown in its richness through its use in other countries too.