Our Marvelous Native Tongue: The Life and Times of the English Language

Now over thirty years old, this is still the best book on the origins and spread of the English language. Other books may match its breadth and content, but none match the wit and precision of Claiborne's writing. Claiborne's lifetime of experience as not only a professional writer but an editor give him a unique insight into what makes for effective, clear prose. It's also abundantly clear that he is deeply, hopelessly in love with the language, and his passion shows on every page. He is fascinated by its almost limitless variety, its echoes of the stormy political climates that spawned and developed it, and its amazing ability to adapt to whatever situation it happens to find itself in. His writing style itself is a paragon of grace and clarity; it's exactly the sort of thing you'd get if E. B. White or John McPhee had turned his hand to the subject. What also shines through is his deep concern for the future of the language, and why it is important, and how it could best be taught. He raises important points about how this tool, with all its potential for extraordinary precision, is being misused by people who would use it to obfuscate and confuse. Not only that, but he makes you care about it, too. I've bought and given away a half dozen copies of this book. And I've read (and owned) dozens and dozens of books on the subject. With each new one, I find myself wondering if this is the one that will unseat Claiborne's masterpiece from the pinnacle. So far, none have even come close. If you want a book that not only informs you of the language's virtues but demonstrates it in every chapter, this is the book.

An enjoyable read for both the language student as well as the student of history. My wife and I read this book 10-years ago. Since then, I have studied various European languages and most recently Turkish (we're now living in Izmir, Turkey). I picked this book up again to re-read it and now am enjoying it from a whole new persective. 10-years ago we ordered extra copies of this book for selected friends, and most especially, my father who studied journalism early in his life and has always been a great teacher to his children of English and its uses. I'm now ordering more copies again for my English-speaking Turkish friends (and a few Brits too). This book is even better the second time around.

I borrowed this book about 10 years ago from a friend and have been looking for a replacement for it ever since. This book starts with the first grunts of our ancestors and progresses to the present proliferation of English dialects today. Seemingly nothing is left out as every influence on our language is explored. Where the author found the information in this book is a mystery, but if you ever wondered why English is so exquisitely descriptive, this book will make it all clear in laymans terms. This is a book you will have a hard time putting down and a harder time keeping if your friends start reading it.

I've always had trouble with English. Well, not always, but from the time people tried to teach me how to read and write. You look for rules and you get more twists and turns than a snaky road. The problem has the most wonderful solution - this book. I am amazed that it has not been embraced by the school system and made required reading for all teachers. It tells the fascinating story of the development of the English tongue. How it grabs passing words, shapes them and stitches them into this wonderful living tapestry. How it resists with great ingenuity any attempt to constrain it. There are so many stories hidden in the nooks and crannies of English. It is amazing. Did you know that nice used to mean stupid. Did you know that the silent k in knock used not to be silent? Did you know that English has many more words than any other language? This book is a must for any parent struggling with a small child trying to spell yacht and other such lovely words stolen from other languages. It is one of those rare books which will change the way you think about something very familiar. The only problem is that it is well nigh impossible to get hold of.

This book is great. Clairbone's writing is clear, concise, and thourghly enjoyable. He makes sense of the much debated twists and turns our language has taken. Need another copy as the print in the one I now have is losing its readability. If I write the publisher, do you think they would have some copies in stock