Customer Reviews
Very Interesting (and not stupid) - By: James Renals, 19 Aug 2008 
Has a comprehensive bibliography for future research, & two sets of indicies so can be used as a text book. However you can also read it as a story book. I was surprised just how fascinating the history & development of the concepts behind each of the words described turned out to be.
Enjoyable and serious - By: The Fisher Price King, 13 Apr 2008 This is a fluently written & interesting account of English's adoption of words from other languages - ranging from the obvious ones, like French, to the less obvious (Persian, Dutch, Portuguese). It is, as such, a history of English vocabulary, but also, more compellingly, a history of British relationships with other cultures. The subject matter might sound quite academic, but this is an engaging read, lit up by lots of memorable examples. It's a fascinating & thought-provoking take on history.
