The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got that Way

· Sold by HarperCollins
4.4
45 reviews
Ebook
320
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

“Vastly informative and vastly entertaining…A scholarly and fascinating book.” —Los Angeles Times

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. 

From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can’t), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world’s largest growth industries.

Ratings and reviews

4.4
45 reviews
Qin Xie
January 23, 2022
Normally a fan of Bryson's travel writing but this one missed the mark. Some interesting facts but an off putting amount of casual racism. And Mario Pei was quoted so many times that it might be easier to read his book instead.
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Bruce Baker
March 8, 2019
I found this a fascinating and enjoyable book. A comprehensive study of the origin and evolution of the English language.
1 person found this review helpful
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Roberto
June 14, 2019
brilliant, easy to read, entertaining, enlightening
3 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Bill Bryson's bestselling books include One Summer, A Short History of Nearly Everything, At Home, A Walk in the Woods, Neither Here nor There, Made in America, and The Mother Tongue. He lives in England with his wife.

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