The Stories Of English

by David Crystal
The Stories Of English cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Language and Linguistics
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Paperback • £14.99
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  • ID: 1785
  • Added: 2025-10-10
  • Updated: 2025-10-10
  • Publisher: Allan Lane
  • Published: 2004-01-01
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

The Stories of English by David Crystal offers a groundbreaking history of the English language, shifting focus from the standard to the diverse dialects and accents that truly define its richness and creativity. From Beowulf to Shakespeare and beyond, Crystal explores how English has evolved and spread across the world, highlighting the stories of regional and social groups that have contributed to its development. This book challenges traditional views by placing everyday, previously marginalized voices at the center of the language's history. Crystal argues for a new perspective on teaching English, emphasizing the importance of understanding the social realities behind its development. Whether you're a language enthusiast or simply curious about the origins of the world's most widely spoken language, this book provides a fresh and engaging look at the stories that make up English.

Reviews
The New York Times · 2004-11-24
Scholarly 4.50

The reviewer praises the book as a work of impeccable scholarship, suitable as a textbook for linguistics students, and appreciates its comprehensive coverage of English language history.

This review praises the book as a work of impeccable scholarship, noting its suitability as a textbook for linguistics students. The reviewer appreciates the comprehensive coverage of English language history, from Old English to the twenty-first century, and finds it a valuable resource for understanding the language's development.

Quick quotes

    The Stories of English is a work of impeccable scholarship and could easily serve as a standard textbook for students of linguistics, but Mr. ...

    The book covers the whole history of English, starting with Old English and continuing up to the twenty-first century.

    This is an attempt to provide a standard history of English and it does that very well.

The Guardian · 2004-06-04
Informative 4.50

The reviewer praises the book for its comprehensive coverage of English language aspects, including grammar, spelling, pronunciation, poetic metre, and prose style. They find it particularly good for linguistics research and appreciate its revelations about the English language's history.

This review highlights the book's strength in covering not just vocabulary but also grammar, spelling, pronunciation, poetic metre, and prose style. The reviewer finds it especially useful for linguistics research and appreciates the insights into the English language's development. Overall, it's a well-rounded and informative read.

Quick quotes

    Popular histories tend to concentrate on vocabulary; Crystal is equally good on grammar, spelling, pronunciation, poetic metre and prose style.

    The book provides one of the most interesting looks at social history I have read in a long time, done up in the guise of a study of just 100 words.

    This is an attempt to provide a standard history of English and it does that very well.

The Times · 2004-05-30
Critical 3.50

The reviewer critiques the book for its portrayal of the relationship between standard and non-standard English, suggesting it oversimplifies the dynamics between educated and uneducated speakers.

This review critiques the book's approach to the relationship between standard and non-standard English, arguing that it oversimplifies the dynamics between educated and uneducated speakers. The reviewer feels the book could be more nuanced in its exploration of these complexities.

Quick quotes

    For one thing, he writes as if the relationship of standard to non-standard English is a matter of the educated bullying the uneducated, the ...

    The book covers the whole history of English, starting with Old English and continuing up to the twenty-first century.

    The Stories of English is a work of impeccable scholarship and could easily serve as a standard textbook for students of linguistics.

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