Images of English: A Cultural History of the Language

Images of English demonstrates how people's opinions about the English language often reflect prejudice and hope, bigotry and pride, scorn and celebration. The book offers a fascinating perspective on attitudes toward the English language--the rise and fall of ideas that English is nearly perfect or tumbling into decline.

Images of English was the first book to focus exclusively on opinions about the language as they have evolved through time. Through the use of abundant quotations, Richard Bailey lets voices from the past speak to our present assumptions and challenges the notion of English triumphalism throughout the world and the ages.