The story of English

An interesting look at the history of the English language, with a special focus on all of the regional variations found around the world. The first chapter, about how the language has achieved supremacy in the current era, is a little bit tedious but the rest of the book is quite interesting. Along with the results of his research and interviews, the author includes a number of interesting anecdotes and digressions along the way to keep things fun for readers.

Note that contrary to what is expressed in some other reviews, the book has been updated - in 1993 and 2002. That said, most of the revisions seem to have been done in '93. I can't see any obvious references to the 21st century here.

This book was originally a companion to the PBS television series of the same title. I read that earlier edition, but I now read that the edition referenced here is expanded and better. The original edition was a very fulfilling read for anybody interested in the historical progression of English from the language of some clansmen in a northern climate to a lingua franca. Its chapters on American English are very insightful and revealing.