From its mongrel origins to its status as the world's most-spoken tongue; its vibrant swearing to its uncertain spelling and pronunciation, the author covers all this as well as the many curious eccentricities that make it as maddening to learn as it is flexible to use. He tells a tale of how English came to be the world's language.

Not only fascinating but extremely funny Angus Deayton The sort of linguistics I like, anecdotal, full of revelations, and with not one dull paragraph -- Ruth Rendell Sunday Times A gold mine of language-anecdote, information, curiosity. A suprise on every page... enthralling Observer Delightful, amusing and provoking... A joyful celebration of our wonderful language, which is packed with curiosities and enlightenment on every page Sunday Express A delightful survey - though with its good humour, wealth of anecdote, and boyish enthusiasm, "romp" would be a better word. -- David Crystal