Free Shipping on all orders over $79. T&Cs apply. Limited time only.
Track My Order
Help Centre
1300 187 187
Likes
My Wish ListsLogin / Join
Booktopia
Australia's local bookstore
The Surgeon of Crowthorne : A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words - Simon Winchester

The Surgeon of Crowthorne

A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words

By: Simon Winchester

Paperback | 5 October 1999 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback

$26.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $6.75 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

An extraordinary tale of madness, genius and obsession, discover the true story of the two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary - and literary history!

The compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary, begun in 1857, 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 of those words.

But when the committee insisted on honouring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, a millionaire and American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane . . . charged with murder!
_____________________

''A weird and wonderful story of an eccentric friendship, and a slice of history'' Sunday Times

''What a revelation. Beautifully told and awe-inspiring'' Daily Mail

''Simon Winchester could not have told it better . . . a splendid book'' Economist

''Masterful . . . one of those rare stories that combine human drama and historical significance'' Independent

Industry Reviews
A gripping tale of violent passions and madness and the precise meaning of words. Two men, miles apart, toil away on a formidable project that was scheduled to take 10 years but in the event demanded 71. Their booklined rooms keep them safe from the roar of the outside world - one a study at Oxford University, the other a cell in Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane. James Murray, editor of The Oxford English Dictionary, is a willing captive, a respectable academic content in his tower, while Dr W C Minor, one of the OED's most prodigious and painstaking contributors, is held for his own safety as he is constantly pulled back into the maelstrom of his own private madness. They both delight in their task, however, and communicate over many years by footnote, annotation and cross-reference. Winchester is a maddeningly good writer and invests a tale that, in truth, is almost without incident with genuine pace and tension. (Kirkus UK)

You Can Find This Book In

Non-FictionLanguage & LinguisticsLinguisticsLexicographyBiographies & True Stories BiographiesHistorical, Political and Military Biographies

Other Books By Simon Winchester

This product is categorised by