Author: Simon Winchester----------------------------
This is the fascinating true account of the crafting of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the lives of the two men who most influenced it.
James Murray, an esteemed linguistic scholar from Scotland and the instigator of the dictionary's creation, sought the help of an American named William Chester Minor for thirty years until his death. The brilliant Minor sent Murray original definitions, citations, corrections, and polishing touches on thousands of words throughout his lifetime, and gained the respect of many English scholars and researchers in the process. After many years apart, without ever having met the mysterious contributor, Murray decided to pay Minor a visit - only then discovering that the man was contained for life in an insane asylum.
The historical events leading up to this shocking realization are well-researched and include reproductions of passages from unearthed journals and hospital accounts to support the story, as well as the author's editorial musings on the cause of Minor's madness. One neat feature is a dictionary entry included at the beginning of each chapter, taken directly from the original OED. The extracts tie in with the content of the chapter - for example, chapter 3, titled "The Madness of War," discusses William Minor's early stirrings of insanity, so the paragraph entry included is "Lunatic." It gives a scholarly flavor to the murder-mystery feel of the story, keeping specific events in perspective of the greater context of the monumental first English dictionary, seven decades in the making.
Equal parts a riveting true story of a madman, an insightful picture of war, an engaging historical narrative, a murder mystery, and a detailed account of what was to be one of the most colossal projects of the 19th century, Professor is worth a read by anyone.
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