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Simon Winchester

The Professor and the Madman

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester is a story of the beginnings of the Oxford English Dictionary. James Murray took the job as editor of this work, but many others were involved in its creation. Winchester gives interesting details about several of these, such as Frederick Furnivall - thought to be the inspiration for Ratty in The Wind in the Willows. This book however, is primarily about one contributor, William Minor. Minor seemed like an ordinary contributor, but when Murray decided to visit him he was in for a surprise - Minor was an inmate of Broadmoor Asylum. Winchester has looked into this fascinating tale, separating out the myth from the reality, and the result is a highly enjoyable book.

Winchester examines the details of Minor's life, searching out reasons for his behaviour. Minor was a doctor during the American Civil War and was forced to inflict the punishment of branding on a defector. Being involved with an army punishing its own members within a country fighting itself clearly was harmful to such a sensitive person. During a visit to England he killed a man, and hence ended up in Broadmoor, where he had plenty of time to contribute to the new OED.

Each chapter starts with an entry from the dictionary. This is all very well, but some stretch to a page or more which tends to break up the flow of the book. I felt that this was a problem when several stories were being interleaved, which is otherwise very skillfully done.

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Paperback 288 pages
ISBN: 0060839783
Salesrank: 10608
Weight:0.2 lbs

Published: 2005 Harper Perennial

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Paperback 288 pages
ISBN: 0060839783
Salesrank: 337274
Weight:0.2 lbs

Published: 2005 Harper Perennial

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Amazon.ca info

Paperback 288 pages
ISBN: 0060839783
Salesrank: 32189
Weight:0.2 lbs

Published: 2005 Harper Perennial

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Product Description
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 began in 1857, it 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 P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Product Description

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 began in 1857, it 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 P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Murder, Insanity, and Logophilia ****
Part mystery, part suspense, part gripping history lesson, this was a revealing and surprising look at how the OED was made. It was a long labor of love and groundbreaking in it's organization. And how revealing that one of its chief contributors was criminally insane. But that's only half the story, the other half is about the perhaps equally as inexplicable drive of the "professor" in bringing about this astounding accomplishment. This is a great book for history buffs.

Murder, Insanity, and Logophilia ****

Part mystery, part suspense, part gripping history lesson, this was a revealing and surprising look at how the OED was made. It was a long labor of love and groundbreaking in it's organization. And how revealing that one of its chief contributors was criminally insane. But that's only half the story, the other half is about the perhaps equally as inexplicable drive of the "professor" in bringing about this astounding accomplishment. This is a great book for history buffs.

A fun read for those who love words - and lurid tales of insane murderers *****
The prompt for writing a quick review of this book is that I just started a third title by the same author, Simon Winchester, The Crack at the Edge of the World, and couldn't help but remember with fondness - yes, I used the word 'fondness' in regard to reading a book about how a dictionary was written - when I read The Professor and the Madman. Winchester is to my knowledge the developer and foremost practitioner of an immensely entertaining historical-narrative literary style whereby he lures us into turning page after page (rapidly) of a history book by telling a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story that reads like pulp fiction, and yes, which is set within a larger historical context and moment. Erik Larson followed the pattern in Devil in the White City , introducing us to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and how it changed the history of America through the lurid tale of a serial killer who was as big as Jack the Ripper before Jack found his first victim. In some parallel ways, Sebastian Junger employed this model, telling us about seemingly mundane things - the deep sea fishing industry, the physics of waves, the types of North Atlantic storms, and a little of the history of Gloucester, Massachusetts - through the sensational story of the crew of the Andrea Gail in his book The Perfect Storm, even better known for the George Clooney movie. What is the historical setting and importance of the Professor and the Madman? The writing of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), of course. Now, without making any claims of being an academic, I must admit that topic kind of, sort of interested me anyway. I like the history of words and their definitions. But enough to read a book? I'm not sure. Even if it's less than 300 pages? Still not sure. It may never have reached the top of the stack. But even if you aren't that interested in what made the OED the finest reference work of its day - and perhaps the greatest reference ever created - the story of Dr. Charles Minor, the man who contributed thousands of entries, all painstakingly researched and neatly written from his home in Crowthorne, England, just 50 miles from Oxford, just might hook you. What tied Minor to the OED and made his role so remarkable? Was it that he was an American creating something so peculiarly British? Nope. There was no snobbery as a sub theme. That he was a veteran of the Civil War, where he was surgeon for the troops of the North? Interesting, but not interesting enough to bring a dictionary to life. Was it that he maintained a long distance relationship with Professor James Murray - strictly by correspondence - for decades, despite numerous invitations from Murray to attend fundraising dinners or just stop by the office to meet due to his prolific 10 thousand entries? Not even close. Was it that he thought Irishmen were ... and that one night he went out and ... and because of that he ended up living in ... ? Yes. Yes. And yes. I don't want to spoil the book for someone wants to know why it took 70 years to create the OED - Murray worked on it for 40 of those years but died before it was released - which contained almost 2 million quotations that helped define more than 400 thousand words. As an aside to those who love words and where they came from, one of the challenges of completing this monumental masterpiece was the stated goal that the OED would provide literary quotations, from oldest to most recent, to illustrate each word's first usage, evolution, and current definitions. Is it any wonder that the publisher had London book sellers place advertising tracts in the books they sold to solicit research help from the general population? But back to Minor. I guess since I've already let you know that Murray was the professor, it is safe to reveal that Minor was the madman. When Murray finally insisted that he must meet the good doctor face-to-face out of respect for his unequaled contributions to the OED- and yes, if Minor wouldn't leave his home and travel to Oxford, he would come to him - you can imagine the shock he must have felt to show up at the front door and discover Minor was an insane murderer living at the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Who knows? Let this book rise to the top of the stack beside your nightstand and you might be shocked to discover yourself enjoying a scintillating read about the history of a dictionary!

A fun read for those who love words - and lurid tales of insane murderers *****

The prompt for writing a quick review of this book is that I just started a third title by the same author, Simon Winchester, The Crack at the Edge of the World, and couldn't help but remember with fondness - yes, I used the word 'fondness' in regard to reading a book about how a dictionary was written - when I read The Professor and the Madman. Winchester is to my knowledge the developer and foremost practitioner of an immensely entertaining historical-narrative literary style whereby he lures us into turning page after page (rapidly) of a history book by telling a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story that reads like pulp fiction, and yes, which is set within a larger historical context and moment. Erik Larson followed the pattern in Devil in the White City , introducing us to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and how it changed the history of America through the lurid tale of a serial killer who was as big as Jack the Ripper before Jack found his first victim. In some parallel ways, Sebastian Junger employed this model, telling us about seemingly mundane things - the deep sea fishing industry, the physics of waves, the types of North Atlantic storms, and a little of the history of Gloucester, Massachusetts - through the sensational story of the crew of the Andrea Gail in his book The Perfect Storm, even better known for the George Clooney movie.

What is the historical setting and importance of the Professor and the Madman? The writing of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), of course. Now, without making any claims of being an academic, I must admit that topic kind of, sort of interested me anyway. I like the history of words and their definitions. But enough to read a book? I'm not sure. Even if it's less than 300 pages? Still not sure. It may never have reached the top of the stack. But even if you aren't that interested in what made the OED the finest reference work of its day - and perhaps the greatest reference ever created - the story of Dr. Charles Minor, the man who contributed thousands of entries, all painstakingly researched and neatly written from his home in Crowthorne, England, just 50 miles from Oxford, just might hook you.

What tied Minor to the OED and made his role so remarkable? Was it that he was an American creating something so peculiarly British? Nope. There was no snobbery as a sub theme. That he was a veteran of the Civil War, where he was surgeon for the troops of the North? Interesting, but not interesting enough to bring a dictionary to life. Was it that he maintained a long distance relationship with Professor James Murray - strictly by correspondence - for decades, despite numerous invitations from Murray to attend fundraising dinners or just stop by the office to meet due to his prolific 10 thousand entries? Not even close. Was it that he thought Irishmen were ... and that one night he went out and ... and because of that he ended up living in ... ? Yes. Yes. And yes.

I don't want to spoil the book for someone wants to know why it took 70 years to create the OED - Murray worked on it for 40 of those years but died before it was released - which contained almost 2 million quotations that helped define more than 400 thousand words. As an aside to those who love words and where they came from, one of the challenges of completing this monumental masterpiece was the stated goal that the OED would provide literary quotations, from oldest to most recent, to illustrate each word's first usage, evolution, and current definitions. Is it any wonder that the publisher had London book sellers place advertising tracts in the books they sold to solicit research help from the general population?

But back to Minor. I guess since I've already let you know that Murray was the professor, it is safe to reveal that Minor was the madman. When Murray finally insisted that he must meet the good doctor face-to-face out of respect for his unequaled contributions to the OED- and yes, if Minor wouldn't leave his home and travel to Oxford, he would come to him - you can imagine the shock he must have felt to show up at the front door and discover Minor was an insane murderer living at the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.

Who knows? Let this book rise to the top of the stack beside your nightstand and you might be shocked to discover yourself enjoying a scintillating read about the history of a dictionary!

Fascinating *****
This very interesting biography gives more than just the dry facts. I was fascinated to learn about how the OED was actually created. Prior to reading this book, I had always taken dictionaries for granted, never giving a thought to how the words are chosen and defined. I was amazed at the amount of volunteer assistance that was offered and used for this enormous undertaking.

Fascinating *****

This very interesting biography gives more than just the dry facts. I was fascinated to learn about how the OED was actually created. Prior to reading this book, I had always taken dictionaries for granted, never giving a thought to how the words are chosen and defined. I was amazed at the amount of volunteer assistance that was offered and used for this enormous undertaking.

borrowed, bought, loaned and replaced *****
OK, so I am a lingui file, but honestly, this book reads like a victorian novel and illuminates the birth of our shared understanding of English. Now, more so than ever before, thanks to the Professor and the Madman of the title, we are able to understand every nuance of the language we call our native tongue. Thanks to Winchester, we are able to understand the nuances of the creation of our most comprehensive lexicon. A great read, even if you hold our language to be suspect (or perhaps especially if...)

borrowed, bought, loaned and replaced *****

OK, so I am a lingui file, but honestly, this book reads like a victorian novel and illuminates the birth of our shared understanding of English.
Now, more so than ever before, thanks to the Professor and the Madman of the title, we are able to understand every nuance of the language we call our native tongue.
Thanks to Winchester, we are able to understand the nuances of the creation of our most comprehensive lexicon.
A great read, even if you hold our language to be suspect (or perhaps especially if...)

Painfully Boring *
There aren't enough words in the Oxford English Dictionary to describe my loathing for this book. It is constantly being recommended to me, because I apparently fit the stereotype of someone who would like it(I have an English degree, I enjoy reading, and I am a bit of a language maven). As someone who loves books, I am usually offended when others complain that a book is "boring." Having said that, my main criticism with The Professor and the Madman is that it is painfully and shockingly ... boring. The only reason I was able to finish this book is that I was trapped in a cabin during a snowstorm. My options were to either read this book or stare out into a blank white landscape. I should have stared into the landscape. A more accurate title would have been: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Letters Being Exchanged, Bureaucracy, and Conversations About Minutiae.

Painfully Boring *

There aren't enough words in the Oxford English Dictionary to describe my loathing for this book. It is constantly being recommended to me, because I apparently fit the stereotype of someone who would like it(I have an English degree, I enjoy reading, and I am a bit of a language maven). As someone who loves books, I am usually offended when others complain that a book is "boring." Having said that, my main criticism with The Professor and the Madman is that it is painfully and shockingly ... boring. The only reason I was able to finish this book is that I was trapped in a cabin during a snowstorm. My options were to either read this book or stare out into a blank white landscape.

I should have stared into the landscape. A more accurate title would have been: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Letters Being Exchanged, Bureaucracy, and Conversations About Minutiae.

Sensationalized Version of a Gripping History ****
The Professor and the Madman is the yellow journalism version of the history of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Sir James Murray, Dr. William Chester Minor, the treatment of the criminally insane during the Victorian period. I was particularly offended by the overly graphic details of Dr. Minor's self-mutilation (if you don't have a strong stomach, skip that section) and playing up of the fictionalized (and often repeated as fact) version of how Sir James and Dr. Minor first met. If the story weren't so interesting, I would encourage you to avoid the book. Writing the first edition of the OED took 70 years and employed an unusual organizational method that has since become popular for monumental knowledge tasks -- relying on volunteers to do the bulk of the work of finding quotations that use each word in different ways over time. As someone who has always admired the OED, I enjoyed learning more about the process involved in its development. Unfortunately, that material is scattered throughout the book rather than concentrated where you can find it for a brief read through. The examples are good, however, if the material is needlessly diluted. Thinking about that monumental effort will give you just the right foundation for appreciating how mental illness can affect parts of one's faculties while leaving others undisturbed, as the paranoid Dr. Minor employed his extensive free time in the Broadmoor Asylum for Criminally Insane and personal wealth to become of the most organized and helpful contributors to the OED. Dr. Minor's story is the actual focus of the book. Unless you are quite interested in ironies, mental illness, and how the Victorians treated the criminally insane, you will probably find this book has more of Dr. Minor than you really care to know. It's a tragic story, but not one that I would have sought to read if the OED development process material hadn't been in the book. As background for that comment, you should know that I have a strong interest in criminal insanity and wrote my law school thesis on the subject. The book tells its story to make you feel the pain of being Dr. Minor quite well, but The Madman and the Professor won't advance your knowledge of mental illness or legal concepts of responsibility very much. I was attracted to this book in part due to my work in leading the 400 Year Project, seeking ways to make improvements in everyone's lives at 20 times the normal rate between 2015 and 2035. I came away impressed that just a few people can make a remarkable contribution to an all-but-impossible project. I will redouble my efforts to locate such people for the 400 Year Project. Tackle the impossible to find out what you can really do!

Sensationalized Version of a Gripping History ****

The Professor and the Madman is the yellow journalism version of the history of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Sir James Murray, Dr. William Chester Minor, the treatment of the criminally insane during the Victorian period. I was particularly offended by the overly graphic details of Dr. Minor's self-mutilation (if you don't have a strong stomach, skip that section) and playing up of the fictionalized (and often repeated as fact) version of how Sir James and Dr. Minor first met. If the story weren't so interesting, I would encourage you to avoid the book.

Writing the first edition of the OED took 70 years and employed an unusual organizational method that has since become popular for monumental knowledge tasks -- relying on volunteers to do the bulk of the work of finding quotations that use each word in different ways over time. As someone who has always admired the OED, I enjoyed learning more about the process involved in its development. Unfortunately, that material is scattered throughout the book rather than concentrated where you can find it for a brief read through. The examples are good, however, if the material is needlessly diluted.

Thinking about that monumental effort will give you just the right foundation for appreciating how mental illness can affect parts of one's faculties while leaving others undisturbed, as the paranoid Dr. Minor employed his extensive free time in the Broadmoor Asylum for Criminally Insane and personal wealth to become of the most organized and helpful contributors to the OED.

Dr. Minor's story is the actual focus of the book. Unless you are quite interested in ironies, mental illness, and how the Victorians treated the criminally insane, you will probably find this book has more of Dr. Minor than you really care to know. It's a tragic story, but not one that I would have sought to read if the OED development process material hadn't been in the book. As background for that comment, you should know that I have a strong interest in criminal insanity and wrote my law school thesis on the subject. The book tells its story to make you feel the pain of being Dr. Minor quite well, but The Madman and the Professor won't advance your knowledge of mental illness or legal concepts of responsibility very much.

I was attracted to this book in part due to my work in leading the 400 Year Project, seeking ways to make improvements in everyone's lives at 20 times the normal rate between 2015 and 2035. I came away impressed that just a few people can make a remarkable contribution to an all-but-impossible project. I will redouble my efforts to locate such people for the 400 Year Project.

Tackle the impossible to find out what you can really do!

When you think you read it all something new pops up. *****
The book is well balanced between the history of the OED and the life and times of Dr. William Minor, (a major contributor). Simon Winchester can hold back all the good stuff and disperse it throughout his writing. So just when you think you read it all, some new fact or weird quirk shows up. Interspersed with the story are relevant definitions, as they would appear in the OED. His description of Broadmoor makes you want to sign up on the waiting list.

When you think you read it all something new pops up. *****

The book is well balanced between the history of the OED and the life and times of Dr. William Minor, (a major contributor).

Simon Winchester can hold back all the good stuff and disperse it throughout his writing. So just when you think you read it all, some new fact or weird quirk shows up. Interspersed with the story are relevant definitions, as they would appear in the OED. His description of Broadmoor makes you want to sign up on the waiting list.

Truth IS stranger . . . ****
If Mark Twain had produced this story we would be smiling at the bizarre characterization and twisted plot. A deranged killer, comfortably incarcerated as he participates in an immense intellectual endeavour. That Winchester's tale is valid history instead invokes sadness and consternation. What bends a man's mind past the breaking point? Is a single event sufficient cause, or does it require a sequence of circumstances? If broken, must we believe that mind of no further use? Winchester's history of William Minor not only is a superb read, it shows that only extraordinary circumstances can overcome the condition of the mentally disturbed. Minor, through a fluke, restored meaning to his incarceration through his contributions to the Oxford English Dictionary. Winchester has performed a noteworthy service in this uncanny work. His long-standing journalist's skills are given full rein as he canters through Minor's life in Asia, the American War Between the States and the long years in Britain's Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Winchester feeds us tidbits of Minor's life as the story progresses. Born in what is now Sri Lanka, Minor's early life is almost a tale of fantasy in its own right. Winchester attributes the tropical lifestyle to sowing the seeds of Minor's later madness. The seed flourished during the American Civil War, heavily fertilized with the blood of soldiers fallen during the Wilderness Campaign in Virginia. According to Winchester, the branding of an AWOL Irish soldier led to the madness bearing its fruit in the mistaken murder of a passerby in London. The mindless killing led to his incarceration in Broadmoor. While there, he became one of the principal contributors to the building of the O.E.D. Winchester stresses what an immense task compiling a full dictionary of the English language was - something we take for granted now - non-existent in Shakespeare's day. The O.E.D.'s editor, James Murray, recognized Minor's contributions as particularly insightful and valuable. Minor had his own method of tracking and classifying words and was able to fulfill Murray's needs in a way that far outstripped the other suppliers. Murray sought out Minor to acknowledge his efforts. It was an unusual association for the time - particularly in the face of Minor's continuing fantasies of persecution. Winchester's use of definitions as chapter headings is an effective lead-in to the main text. His own word skills aren't wanting, and his descriptive prowess is excellent. Sprinkled with line drawings, the graphics help convey the feeling of the era. If there is a flaw in this book, it's in the lack of an index. A history without an index is incomplete. Still, it's the story that demands attention, which any reader will freely give that as this exemplary narrative progresses. He manages to weave a needed sample of an individual's history within a wider, but comprehensive picture. More accounts of noteworthy, but previously unknown people are needed. It's to be hoped that others will follow Winchester's creditable effort. [stephen a. haines - 2005-08-15]

Truth IS stranger . . . ****

If Mark Twain had produced this story we would be smiling at the bizarre characterization and twisted plot. A deranged killer, comfortably incarcerated as he participates in an immense intellectual endeavour. That Winchester's tale is valid history instead invokes sadness and consternation. What bends a man's mind past the breaking point? Is a single event sufficient cause, or does it require a sequence of circumstances? If broken, must we believe that mind of no further use? Winchester's history of William Minor not only is a superb read, it shows that only extraordinary circumstances can overcome the condition of the mentally disturbed. Minor, through a fluke, restored meaning to his incarceration through his contributions to the Oxford English Dictionary. Winchester has performed a noteworthy service in this uncanny work. His long-standing journalist's skills are given full rein as he canters through Minor's life in Asia, the American War Between the States and the long years in Britain's Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.

Winchester feeds us tidbits of Minor's life as the story progresses. Born in what is now Sri Lanka, Minor's early life is almost a tale of fantasy in its own right. Winchester attributes the tropical lifestyle to sowing the seeds of Minor's later madness. The seed flourished during the American Civil War, heavily fertilized with the blood of soldiers fallen during the Wilderness Campaign in Virginia. According to Winchester, the branding of an AWOL Irish soldier led to the madness bearing its fruit in the mistaken murder of a passerby in London. The mindless killing led to his incarceration in Broadmoor. While there, he became one of the principal contributors to the building of the O.E.D.

Winchester stresses what an immense task compiling a full dictionary of the English language was - something we take for granted now - non-existent in Shakespeare's day. The O.E.D.'s editor, James Murray, recognized Minor's contributions as particularly insightful and valuable. Minor had his own method of tracking and classifying words and was able to fulfill Murray's needs in a way that far outstripped the other suppliers. Murray sought out Minor to acknowledge his efforts. It was an unusual association for the time - particularly in the face of Minor's continuing fantasies of persecution.

Winchester's use of definitions as chapter headings is an effective lead-in to the main text. His own word skills aren't wanting, and his descriptive prowess is excellent. Sprinkled with line drawings, the graphics help convey the feeling of the era. If there is a flaw in this book, it's in the lack of an index. A history without an index is incomplete. Still, it's the story that demands attention, which any reader will freely give that as this exemplary narrative progresses. He manages to weave a needed sample of an individual's history within a wider, but comprehensive picture. More accounts of noteworthy, but previously unknown people are needed. It's to be hoped that others will follow Winchester's creditable effort. [stephen a. haines - 2005-08-15]

Mixed Emotions ***
The present book was written in approximately 1998, but now it has a competitor. "The Meaning of Everything" was just recently published in 2003 by the same author Simon Winchester. So Winchester now has two books on the subject, and the newer book is much better than the book being reviewed here. Simon Winchester is a gifted writer. The first book "Professor and the Madman" reads like a fast paced novel and that is why it has been popular and got a 5 star rating. Having said that it was just an introduction to the writing of the monumental work of the original Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The original OED is not to be confused with an Oxford dictionary found at a modern bookstore. The original OED is a series of volumes that gives many quotes for each and every word to show how the word is used. Starting with the letter "A" it took a remarkable 70 years to complete the final volume that included the letter "Z". It was started from first concept in 1857 and went on until it was completed with the final tenth volume in 1928. One of the prime movers of that book was James Murray who started at the beginning in 1878. Prior to that date, nothing of practical value was done between 1857 and 1878. He was in essence the first editor (technically the thrird), and he edited the dictionary up to the volume ending with the letter T - the degree of the progress of the dictionary at his death in 1915. When Murray started his work around 1878-79 the group at Oxford sent out advertisements to solicit readers who might be able to send words with accompanying quotations - the basic format of the dictionary. They knew they needed help from the public and that was their technique to speed up the work. The group at Oxford largely concentrated on editing, checking and compiling the quotes and words. Many people sent in quotes including one individual from an individual in a home for the criminally insane - who happened to collect and read old books. This first book by Winchester largely deals with this interesting character who had responded to these advertisements in 1879-80 and sent in words and quotations. He was an American Dr. William Minor (MD) from Connecticut who had been committed to a mental hospital located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, one hour by train from Oxford. In some ways it is too much information about this man - my opinion. It is interesting to a point but again I think there is too much information on this person - which I will not repeat here. Some of it is to say the least - unsettling - to know the grimy details of his mental illness - schizophrenia. The first book was written in approximately 1998. The span of time has given the author the opportunity to present a better package of ideas. I bought both books by Winchester but in retrospect would have skipped the first book and just bought the newer book. The newer book has one chapter on Dr. Minor - which for me is enough. So skip this book just by the new one. My humble opinion. Jack in Toronto

Mixed Emotions ***

The present book was written in approximately 1998, but now it has a competitor. "The Meaning of Everything" was just recently published in 2003 by the same author Simon Winchester. So Winchester now has two books on the subject, and the newer book is much better than the book being reviewed here.
Simon Winchester is a gifted writer. The first book "Professor and the Madman" reads like a fast paced novel and that is why it has been popular and got a 5 star rating. Having said that it was just an introduction to the writing of the monumental work of the original Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The original OED is not to be confused with an Oxford dictionary found at a modern bookstore. The original OED is a series of volumes that gives many quotes for each and every word to show how the word is used. Starting with the letter "A" it took a remarkable 70 years to complete the final volume that included the letter "Z". It was started from first concept in 1857 and went on until it was completed with the final tenth volume in 1928.

One of the prime movers of that book was James Murray who started at the beginning in 1878. Prior to that date, nothing of practical value was done between 1857 and 1878. He was in essence the first editor (technically the thrird), and he edited the dictionary up to the volume ending with the letter T - the degree of the progress of the dictionary at his death in 1915.

When Murray started his work around 1878-79 the group at Oxford sent out advertisements to solicit readers who might be able to send words with accompanying quotations - the basic format of the dictionary. They knew they needed help from the public and that was their technique to speed up the work. The group at Oxford largely concentrated on editing, checking and compiling the quotes and words. Many people sent in quotes including one individual from an individual in a home for the criminally insane - who happened to collect and read old books.

This first book by Winchester largely deals with this interesting character who had responded to these advertisements in 1879-80 and sent in words and quotations. He was an American Dr. William Minor (MD) from Connecticut who had been committed to a mental hospital located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, one hour by train from Oxford. In some ways it is too much information about this man - my opinion. It is interesting to a point but again I think there is too much information on this person - which I will not repeat here. Some of it is to say the least - unsettling - to know the grimy details of his mental illness - schizophrenia.

The first book was written in approximately 1998. The span of time has given the author the opportunity to present a better package of ideas.

I bought both books by Winchester but in retrospect would have skipped the first book and just bought the newer book. The newer book has one chapter on Dr. Minor - which for me is enough.

So skip this book just by the new one.

My humble opinion.

Jack in Toronto

A great book ****
In 1872, James Murray took over the flagging effort to produce a new, comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Putting out a public request for volunteers to read and provide examples of words, he was deluged by responses. One volunteer proved to be a valuable asset, one Dr. William Minor. Only after he had come to consider Dr. Minor as one of his prime resources did Dr. Murray come to find out that Minor was incarcerated in an asylum for the criminally insane. This is the story of two men and the evolution of the Oxford English Dictionary. This wonderful book gives you the entire story of a very strange historical occurrence, a madman's invaluable contribution to the English language. Going back, it gives the reader the life stories of the two men and shows the evolution of their relationship. The story is touching, told in a clear manner that brings the story home. This is a great book.

A great book ****

In 1872, James Murray took over the flagging effort to produce a new, comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Putting out a public request for volunteers to read and provide examples of words, he was deluged by responses. One volunteer proved to be a valuable asset, one Dr. William Minor. Only after he had come to consider Dr. Minor as one of his prime resources did Dr. Murray come to find out that Minor was incarcerated in an asylum for the criminally insane. This is the story of two men and the evolution of the Oxford English Dictionary.

This wonderful book gives you the entire story of a very strange historical occurrence, a madman's invaluable contribution to the English language. Going back, it gives the reader the life stories of the two men and shows the evolution of their relationship. The story is touching, told in a clear manner that brings the story home. This is a great book.

The Genius Behind the Modern Dictionary *****
Here is another one of those great Winchester-style historical stories that proves that improbable ideas often happen when obsessively brilliant people come together on a mission to change the world around them. In this particular work, Simon Winchester, a prominent British biographer, provides a very colorful description of what one of those unlikely ideas was - the compilation of the modern Oxford dictionary - and who the cast of illustrious movers and shakers(the Group of 40) was that made it happen. Up until the mid-1800s, work on a comprehensive English dictionary had gone nowehere. It was either too big a task for the resources at hand or not lucrative enough to attract the big publishers of the day. This story is a compilation of the adventurous, the infamous, the heroic, and the downright bizarre. For this project to happen, certain factors had to make their presence felt: the sudden expansion of the English language through the rapid growth of the British Empire and the personal passion of gifted people to see it through. On this second score, how would anyone in their right mind ever conceive of a medical doctor(Minor) doing a life sentence at Bradmoor Asylum for murder linking up with a linguistics professor(Murray) to spearhead the development of the world's most exhaustive and authoritative lexicon. Of the two, it is Dr. Minor, the certified lunatic, who comes in for the most attention because his path to fame was definitely the one `least traveled'. The reader gets to follow this polymathic character through the life-changing horrors of the American Civil War, his subsquent vagabond travels around England, before his eventual run-in with the law in the back streets of London. It is only when he was locked up in a home for the mentally insane did his true academic brilliance surface. Minor was a surgeon who had a passion for saving lives but, also, as an amateur philologist, had a passion for the study of literature and language. This book shares a lot about how the original Oxford dictionary was technically contrived and why it comes to us today as one of the ultimate authorities on the origin and use of English as a global language. An all-round fine read.

The Genius Behind the Modern Dictionary *****

Here is another one of those great Winchester-style historical stories that proves that improbable ideas often happen when obsessively brilliant people come together on a mission to change the world around them. In this particular work, Simon Winchester, a prominent British biographer, provides a very colorful description of what one of those unlikely ideas was - the compilation of the modern Oxford dictionary - and who the cast of illustrious movers and shakers(the Group of 40) was that made it happen. Up until the mid-1800s, work on a comprehensive English dictionary had gone nowehere. It was either too big a task for the resources at hand or not lucrative enough to attract the big publishers of the day. This story is a compilation of the adventurous, the infamous, the heroic, and the downright bizarre. For this project to happen, certain factors had to make their presence felt: the sudden expansion of the English language through the rapid growth of the British Empire and the personal passion of gifted people to see it through. On this second score, how would anyone in their right mind ever conceive of a medical doctor(Minor) doing a life sentence at Bradmoor Asylum for murder linking up with a linguistics professor(Murray) to spearhead the development of the world's most exhaustive and authoritative lexicon. Of the two, it is Dr. Minor, the certified lunatic, who comes in for the most attention because his path to fame was definitely the one `least traveled'. The reader gets to follow this polymathic character through the life-changing horrors of the American Civil War, his subsquent vagabond travels around England, before his eventual run-in with the law in the back streets of London. It is only when he was locked up in a home for the mentally insane did his true academic brilliance surface. Minor was a surgeon who had a passion for saving lives but, also, as an amateur philologist, had a passion for the study of literature and language. This book shares a lot about how the original Oxford dictionary was technically contrived and why it comes to us today as one of the ultimate authorities on the origin and use of English as a global language. An all-round fine read.

interesting story ****
This is a marvelous book about the Professor, James Murray, the primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Madman, Dr. William C. Minor, one of the Dictionary's most prolific contributors, despite his incarceration in an asylum for the criminally insane after committing a senseless murder provoked by his delusions. The book tells the stories of each of these protagonists as well as the making of the OED itself, and nicely wraps up all of the connections, even to the point of showing what happened to the murdered man's family (whose widow visited Minor regularly for months).

interesting story ****

This is a marvelous book about the Professor, James Murray, the primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Madman, Dr. William C. Minor, one of the Dictionary's most prolific contributors, despite his incarceration in an asylum for the criminally insane after committing a senseless murder provoked by his delusions. The book tells the stories of each of these protagonists as well as the making of the OED itself, and nicely wraps up all of the connections, even to the point of showing what happened to the murdered man's family (whose widow visited Minor regularly
for months).

Quick read for philologists, historians, and others. ***
I like reading the occasional historical fact (rather than historical fiction) "novelette," and The Professor and the Madman was definitely easy to get through. One can learn much from books like this, particularly the way normal people lived their day-to-day lives in a certain time and place. A few things I liked about this book: 1. One will assuredly learn a thing or two about the English language, in reading it. You will learn some obsolete words, the origin of some words, and just get a refresher of other, more common words. Each chapter begins with a dictionary entry of a particular word, some very normal words, some more exotic words. 2. The parallel lives of the two main characters are interesting to follow. One feels real emotions for both. There are a few shocking moments in the book, which stand out quite a bit in front of the otherwise fairly tame narrative. 3. I grew up with the Oxford English Dictionary, and I always wondered how they compiled all the words. It was great learning about how they did that. 4. The book covers an array of themes and topics, and a fairly diverse geography. Mental illness, civil war, sexual propriety, crime and punishment, one can learn a little bit about a lot of issues in the reading of Simon Winchester's book. I wouldn't recommend the book to just anyone, though. It can be kind of slow, and sometimes one simply grows tired of bouncing back and forth between the two main characters. It is also fairly short; one sort of wishes for more detail on certain events. In some places, the book reads like a crime/detective novel from the 19th century, in others it is more like a biography. It sort of skips around from one style to the next, almost as if different parts were written at very different times by an author in very different states of mind. Overall, though, this book is a nice, quick read, a good plot, and you will learn a thing or two from it.

Quick read for philologists, historians, and others. ***

I like reading the occasional historical fact (rather than historical fiction) "novelette," and The Professor and the Madman was definitely easy to get through. One can learn much from books like this, particularly the way normal people lived their day-to-day lives in a certain time and place.

A few things I liked about this book:

1. One will assuredly learn a thing or two about the English language, in reading it. You will learn some obsolete words, the origin of some words, and just get a refresher of other, more common words. Each chapter begins with a dictionary entry of a particular word, some very normal words, some more exotic words.

2. The parallel lives of the two main characters are interesting to follow. One feels real emotions for both. There are a few shocking moments in the book, which stand out quite a bit in front of the otherwise fairly tame narrative.

3. I grew up with the Oxford English Dictionary, and I always wondered how they compiled all the words. It was great learning about how they did that.

4. The book covers an array of themes and topics, and a fairly diverse geography. Mental illness, civil war, sexual propriety, crime and punishment, one can learn a little bit about a lot of issues in the reading of Simon Winchester's book.

I wouldn't recommend the book to just anyone, though. It can be kind of slow, and sometimes one simply grows tired of bouncing back and forth between the two main characters. It is also fairly short; one sort of wishes for more detail on certain events. In some places, the book reads like a crime/detective novel from the 19th century, in others it is more like a biography. It sort of skips around from one style to the next, almost as if different parts were written at very different times by an author in very different states of mind. Overall, though, this book is a nice, quick read, a good plot, and you will learn a thing or two from it.