The Professor and the Madman
Books | Biography & Autobiography / Historical
3.9
(188)
Simon Winchester
A New York Times Notable Book The Professor and the Madman 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 making of the OED was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, was stunned to discover that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. But their surprise would pale in comparison to what they were about to discover when the committee insisted on honoring him. For Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.Masterfully researched and eloquently written, The Professor and the Madman “is the linguistic detective story of the decade.” (William Safire, New York Times Magazine)This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
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More Details:
Author
Simon Winchester
Pages
272
Publisher
Harper Collins
Published Date
2009-10-13
ISBN
0061807605 9780061807602
Ratings
Google: 3.5
Community ReviewsSee all
"Throughly enjoyable and fascinating read!"
Starleigh Aurora
"What a passionate and detailed exploration into the contributions of Murray and Minor to the <i> OED </i> and the unique relationship they shared during its creation. As a fan of true crime mixed with history, and particularly academia, (think [b:Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard|41832751|Blood & Ivy The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard|Paul Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560508555l/41832751._SX50_.jpg|57878191]), I was extremely drawn into this book and fascinated by Winchester's excellent storytelling. I don't know how to summarize how interesting the story is other than to recommend you read it. <br/><br/>I also want to note how much I appreciate the dedication to George Merrett and the accompanying explanation in the Postscript. Winchester does his part to remedy the fact that "nothing else remains to suggest that the man [Minor] killed was ever worthy of any memory at all" (226)."
K R
Kayla Randolph
"Usually biographies are very boring to me, but this was unique and well-written"
Cactus
"This was just okay for me. He made some intuitive leaps here and there in an effort to make the story seem more interesting, I think--I don't like it when nonfiction authors insert unfounded suppositions into a text just to make it "sexier," so to speak. The story in itself was interesting and those suppositions just set it back for me a bit."
Sandra Hasenauer
"8/10"
Lil-Farrah