Staff Pick
One of the best nonfiction books I've come across, Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman is a riveting read. That seems an unlikely thing to say about the history of the making of The Oxford English Dictionary, but Winchester's genius makes the subject come alive like the best thriller ever written. Delicious! Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, 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 compilation of the OED, begun in 1857, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W.C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.
This audio also includes a conversation between Simon Winchester and John Simpson, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary
About the Author
Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including
The Professor and the Madman,
Atlantic,
The Man Who Loved China,
A Crack in the Edge of the World, and
Krakatoa. In 2006, Mr. Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He lives in western Massachusetts.
Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, Atlantic, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa. In 2006, Mr. Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He lives in western Massachusetts.