Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling

George Bernard Shaw complained that while German and Spanish were easy for foreigners to spell, English isn't easy for native speakers. Every wonder why? From the Anglo-Saxon age, through the Norman Invasion and on to Chaucer, Shakespeare and Johnson, everything you want to know about why our spelling system is so quirky can be found here. Also, some information on the possibility of spelling reform.

The English language, in particular its spelling, is a strange and wonderful beast. Essinger gets to the heart of it in Spellbound. There are many facts that won't be a surprise to most reading the book, such as much of the language being influenced by the mix of Anglo-Saxon with Norman French or the borrowing of words from other cultures as they are encountered. It's the information beyond the facts, which have obviously been well-researched, that gives the book its flavor. Yes, it is a book about spelling, and if anything ever was a bane of school children, it could be that. Essinger approaches it with a delight and joy that is contagious. As I read the book, there were points in it where I literally laughed out loud because of the wit and humor in the pages. At other times, I felt awe and wonder that the English language ever came to be. Something that many people think is a dry subject comes alive in the book. As the author writes in the Introduction, it becomes magical. The book achieves what the author wanted to do in making something accessible to the general public, not just academics. It is neither pompous or boring. Instead, it's interesting and fun. In short... very highly recommended.

THIS BOOK CAN BE CONSIDERED A GEM FULL OF CHARM AND MAGIC.WRITTEN FOR THE GENERAL READER- BUT ALSO FOR THE SPECIALIST-IT IS A SHORT BUT PRETTY PROFOUND SURVEY ABOUT ONE OF THE GREATEST ABSURDS WHICH EXIST NOWADAYS:THE TOTALLY- IRRATIONAL WAY THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS SPELLED. AS A TEACHER OF ENGLISH, I AM ALMOST CONSTANTLY FACED WITH THE (LEGITIMATE) QUESTION POSED BY MY STUDENTS ABOUT THIS INTRIGUING ASPECT OF THIS LANGUAGE.AND THIS BOOK GIVES YOU VERY SHORT AND PRECISE ANSWERS .THE BOOK IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS .THE FIRST TWO ARE INTRODUCTORY, AND THE THIRD SECTION DEPICTS THE REASONS FOR THE SCANDALOUS WAY ENGLISH WORDS ARE SPELLED.I INDEED AGREE WITH THE AUTHOR'S CLAIM THAT A REFORM IN THE SPELLING WOULD BE A FUTILE ATTEMPT.HE ARGUES THAT WHOLE CULTURAL CHUNKS WOULD BE LEFT OUT AND FORGOTTEN. CHAUCER, SHAKESPEARE,CAWDREY( WHO IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST ONE TO WRITE AN ENGLISH DICTIONARY),JOHNSON, WEBSTER- YOU WILL FIND OUT IN WHAT WAY THEY ARE RELATED TO THIS MOST FASCINATING SUBJECT.YOU WILL ENJOY THIS LIVELY, DYNAMICALLY WRITTEN BOOK AND YOU WILL- I AM CONFIDENT- BE SPELLBOUND BY IT.

Spellbound took me on a magical tour following the twists and turns of all human history, stopping off at the most unlikely places. The journey's purpose is to show the `improbable story' of why English enjoys the most illogical spelling system in the world. And I really do mean `show'. When I read this book it felt more like watching an action-packed technicolor movie with living, breathing people full - people who've contributed to how our language is written today... Not something I'd expected from a book about words. The author obviously has a great passion for our language and an earnest desire to share his great knowledge of it. He succeeds in making what could be very complex concepts accessible, and more to the point, fun and interesting. For example, I never thought I'd learn the basics of how Egyptian hieroglyphics, Gothic runes and the Chinese writing system work, but now I understand the basics of them all. This book is a little treasure.

In this splendid book, James Essinger tells the fascinating story of the evolution of English Language and spelling. Over the course of around 250 pages the reader is treated to an educational journey encompassing a variety of topics including early writing forms such as ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, different forms of alphabets (with particular reference to our own), the historical roots of the English language, with emphasis on pivotal events such as the Normandy invasion of 1066, the development of the first dictionaries, and lots more. He even finishes up by discussing modern-day phenomena such as mobile phone text-messaging, which has arguably become a language of its own, barely recognisible from plain written English. Essinger's writing style is lucid and highly readable. The book contains a wealth of information, without ever becoming dry or tedious. I have no hesitation in awarding it the full five stars.