The Professor and The Madman- Simon Winchester

A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary


Very interesting story about two key figures involved in the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.  The book reads like a work of fiction.  It is not exactly what I thought it would be like when I selected it but I really enjoyed it.  It was filled with moments of surprise, sadness, and just good story-telling.  It is amazing to think what a formidable task writing the first comprehensive dictionary really was and how interesting it was to read about the time, effort, and energy expended to make it happen.  There are some great characters in the book and their lives will keep you just as interested as a good work of fiction.

I don't know why it took me so long to start reading this book but it certainly didn't take very long to finish!

Short review but really good read!