| The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary Contributor(s): Winchester, Simon (Author) |
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ISBN: 0060175966 ISBN-13: 9780060175962 Publisher: Harper OUR PRICE: $20.70 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: August 1998 Annotation: The riveting true story of Dr. W.C. Minor--the ingenious but insane American Civil War veteran who contributed more than 10,000 definitions to the Oxford English Dictionary. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Historical - Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures - Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics - General |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 98010204 |
| Lexile Measure: 1330 |
| Physical Information: 0.96" H x 5.9" W x 8.41" (0.79 lbs) 256 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1900-1949 - Chronological Period - 1851-1899 - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The compilation of the OxfordEnglish Dictionary was one of the most ambitious and challenging language projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the vast over-seeing committee, led by professor James Murray, discovered that more than 10,000 definitions had been submitted by one man, Dr. W. C. Minor. When the committee insisited on honoring him, the incredible truth came to light: Dr. Minor was really a brilliant but severly ill inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane. This is the fascinating, unforgettable true story of a man who became the most prolific contributor of the English language and to history itself. |
Contributor Bio(s): Winchester, Simon: - Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa, all of which were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He resides in western Massachusetts. |