Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

Simon Winchester

ISBN 10: 0965792951 / ISBN 13: 9780965792950

Published by Jona Books, 2003

About this Item

This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear . It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear . It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket.

Seller Inventory # mon0001474873

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
• Publisher: Jona Books
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0965792951
• ISBN 13: 9780965792950
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Acceptable

About this title

Synopsis

The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary -- and literary history. The compilation of the OED began in 1857, it was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.