The Professor and the Madman - Softcover

9780060994860: The Professor and the Madman
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

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, begun in 1857, 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.

 

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Product Description:
The Professor And the Madman: a Tale of Murder, Insanity, And the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Review:
"I found "The Professor and the Madman both enthralling and moving, in its brilliant reconstruction of a most improbable event: the major contributions made to the great Oxford English Dictionary by a deeply delusional, incarcerated "madman, " and the development of a true friendship between him and the editor of the OED. One sees here the redemptive potential of work and love in even the most deeply, "hopelessly, " psychotic."-- Oliver Sacks, M.D."Remarkably readable, this chronicle of lexicography roams from the great dictionary itself to hidden nooks in the human psyche that sometimes house the motives for murder, the sources for sanity, and the blueprint for creativity."-- "Kirkus Reviews" (starred)"An extraordinary tale, and Simon Winchester could not have told it better. . . . [He] has written a splendid book."-- "The Economist""Madness, violence, arcane obsessions, weird learning, ghastly comedy, all set out in an atmosphere of po-aced, high neo-Gothic. The geographical span is wide, from Dickensian London to Florida's Pensacola Bay, from the beaches at Trincomalee to the Civil War battlefields of the United States. . . . It is a wonderful story."-- John Banville, "Literary Review""This is almost my favorite kind of book: the work of social and intellectual history which through the oblique treatment of major developments manages to throw unusual light on humankind and its doings. . . . Simon Winchester's effortlessly clear, spare prose is the perfect vehicle for the tale . . . absolutely riveting."-- Will Self, "The Times" (London)"It's a story for readers who know the joy of words and can appreciate side trips through the history of dictionaries and marvel at the idea that whenShakespeare wrote, there we no dictionaries to consult.... Winchester, a British Journalist who's written 12 other books, combines a reporter's eye for detail with a historian's sense of scale. His writing is droll and eloquent"--Bob Minzesheimer, "USA Today"Winchester's history of the OED is brisk and entertaining"--Mark Rozzo, "Washington Post Book World""The Professor and the Madman...is the linguistic detective story of the decade.... Winchester does a superb job of historical research that should entice readers even more interested in deeds than words."--William Safire, "New York Times Magazine"elegant and scrupulous"--David Walton, "New York Times Book Review"Winchester has written a powerful account of the shifting foundations on which meaning is built, and the impoverishment of a language that could not describe or give peace to one of its makers."-- Lithe Sebesta, "New York Post"Mr. Winchester deftly weaves...a narrative full of suspense, pathos and humor.... In this elegant book the writer has created a vivid parable, in the spirit of Nabokov and Borges. There is much truth to be drawn from it, about Victorian pride, the relation between language and the world, and the fine line between sanity and madness."--Daniel Mark Epstein, "Wall Street Journal "a fascinating, spicy, learned tale"-- Richard Bernstein, "New York Times"Simon Winchester, in his splendid, oddball slice of history "The Professor and the Madman, has come up with an irresistible hook... [an] utterly fascinating account of how a combination of scholarship and nationalism begat what would become the "Oxford English Dictionary... If the initial sections of [Winchester's] tale have the appeal of a gaslight Victorianthriller, Winchester doesn't leave it at that. He's a superb historian because he's a superb storyteller.... The strange richness of it all is enhanced by the flawless clarity of Winchester's prose. Winchester, investigating an odd bit of background trivia about the making of one of the world's great books, has the courage of his own curiosity. The elegant curio he has created is as enthralling as a good story can be and as informative as any history aspires to be."--Charles Taylor, "Salon "One of the great strengths of this book is historical mise-en-scene, particularly for nineteenth-century America and England...[a] marvelous work of historical and philogical imagination."-- Linda Bridges, "National Review

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherHarperCollins
  • Publication date1999
  • ISBN 10 006099486X
  • ISBN 13 9780060994860
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages255
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780060839789: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780060839789
Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2005
Softcover

  • 9780060175962: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

    Harper, 1998
    Hardcover

  • 9780062564610: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

    Perennial, 2016
    Softcover

  • 9780783885001: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

    G K Ha..., 1999
    Hardcover

  • 9780061030222: The Professor and the Madman

    Harper..., 1999
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Simon Winchester
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Soft cover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Jay's Basement Books
(Sonora, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Soft cover. Condition: New. 242pp. + Ads new / remainder mark on bottom. History, English Language. Seller Inventory # 021911

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 12.66
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.95
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Books Unplugged
(Amherst, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk006099486Xxvz189zvxnew

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 16.70
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book Deals
(Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-006099486X-new

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 16.70
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_006099486X

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 18.44
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.17
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard006099486X

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 21.29
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 2.77
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think006099486X

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 22.01
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.37
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover006099486X

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 24.63
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.41
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Simon Winchester
Published by Harper Perennial (1999)
ISBN 10: 006099486X ISBN 13: 9780060994860
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 0.46. Seller Inventory # Q-006099486X

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 47.02
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.27
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds