The professor and the madman
a tale of murder, insanity, and the making of the Oxford English dictionary
by Simon Winchester and Simon Winchester
- 4 Want to read
- 3 Have read
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 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. 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.
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Previews available in: English
Subjects
Biography, Biography & Autobiography, Encyclopedias and dictionaries, English language, Etymology, Friends and associates, History, History and criticism, Lexicographers, Lexicography, New English dictionary on historical principles, Nonfiction, Oxford English dictionary, Psychiatric hospital patients, United States Civil War, 1861-1865, Veterans, Lexicographes, Anglais (Langue), Encyclopédies et dictionnaires anglais, Lexicographie, Amis et relations, Anciens combattants, Patients dans les hôpitaux psychiatriques, Histoire, Histoire et critique, Biographies, Étymologie, American Civil War (1861-1865) fast (OCoLC)fst01351658, Friendship, Encyclopedias and dictionaries, history and criticism, English language, etymology, English language, lexicography, Mentally ill, biography, United states, history, civil war, 1861-1865, biography, Large type books, Patients des hôpitaux psychiatriques
Book Details
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
The Physical Object
Edition Identifiers
Work Identifiers
Community Reviews (0)
Lists
See All
| November 24, 2024 | Edited by bitnapper | Merge works (MRID: 176537) |
| February 28, 2020 | Edited by MARC Bot | remove fake subjects |
| July 14, 2017 | Edited by Mek | adding subject: Internet Archive Wishlist |
| April 28, 2010 | Edited by Open Library Bot | Linked existing covers to the work. |
| December 9, 2009 | Created by WorkBot | add works page |