A masterful, engaging history of the English language from the age of "Beowulf" to the rap of Eminem, this book percolates with creative energy ("Publishers Wee

Why is there such a striking difference between English spelling and English pronunciation? How did our seemingly relatively simple grammar rules develop? What

“Presents the largely uncharted history of English alchemy from its medieval roots until the end of the seventeenth century . . . an astounding eye for detail

Why does the world speak English? Why does every country at least pretend to aspire to representative government, personal freedom, and an independent judiciary

Working at the interface of historical and fictional writing, Ralph Crane considers the history of India from the Revolt of 1857 to the Emergency of 1975 as it