The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language

The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language: "I just finished a very well told story of the English language; from its start as a Germanic dialect to its position today as the closest thing we have to a global 'common' language. The story runs about 12 hours in Audible format, is well narrated by Robert Powell and moves well despite the content. This book was a good side trip on trek through American History. I rate it 4 of 5 stars. I thought the storytelling through the Norman occupation of England was wonderful. The history of the original English dictionaries and the first English versions of the Bible were fascinating. I especially enjoyed learning about the difficulties faced in committing what the Roman Catholic church considered an act of heresy in telling the story of God in any language other than Latin. The only weak area I felt was in the author's discussion of the Internet's impact on modern English. I think Bragg missed an opportunity to tie in the ever rapid evolution of the language with the ability of peoples around the world to share that language instantly with Google. I think Bragg's conclusion that there will be 'many Englishes' is counter to the results seen from a common printed English (the web) that is globally accessible. The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language (Unabridged)
Melvyn Bragg **** four of five stars."