Professor And The Madman : A Tale Of Murder Insanity And The Making Of The Oxford English Dictionary

A fascinating look into the creation of the dictionary to which all others are compared. Winchester's tome is slight but contains elements of history, true crime, and romance (at least the platonic kind). He paints vivid portraits of James Murray (the professor), the lead editor of the OED and Dr. W.C. Minor (the madman), an American expatriate in England and a Civil War veteran who did more than any of the other volunteers to make the OED the legendary creation it is today.

The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary -- and literary history. The compilation of the OED began in 1857, it was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa. Those books were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Mr. Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by her Majesty the Queen. He lives in Manhattan and in western Massachusetts.

Distributor: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 07-05-2005
Pages: 288
Measurements: 8in X 5.3125in X 0.648649in X 7.92oz