Book Description
Why is there such a striking difference between English spelling and English pronunciation? How did our seemingly relatively simple grammar rules develop? What are the origins of regional dialect, literary language, and everyday speech, and what do they have to do with you?
Seth Lerer's Inventing English is a masterful, engaging history of the English language from the age of Beowulf to the rap of Eminem. Many have written about the evolution of our grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but only Lerer situates these developments in the larger history of English, America, and literature.
Lerer begins in the seventh century with the poet Caedmon learning to sing what would become the earliest poem in English. He then looks at the medieval scribes and poets who gave shape to Middle English. He finds the traces of the Great Vowel Shift in the spelling choices of letter writers of the fifteenth century and explores the achievements of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of 1755 and The Oxford English Dictionary of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He describes the differences between English and American usage and, through the example of Mark Twain, the link between regional dialect and race, class, and gender. Finally, he muses on the ways in which contact with foreign languages, popular culture, advertising, the Internet, and e-mail continue to shape English for future generations.
Each concise chapter illuminates a moment of invention-a time when people discovered a new form of expression or changed the way they spoke or wrote. In conclusion, Lerer wonders whether globalization and technology have turned English into a world language and reflects on what has been preserved and what has been lost. A unique blend of historical and personal narrative, Inventing English is the surprising tale of a language that is as dynamic as the people to whom it belongs.
Customer Reviews:
review.......2007-10-06
interesting fairly easy to read I love words and word histories and wanted to add to the history after a review of the text was sent to me by my son. Not the easiest thing to read before napping.
might enjoy the lectures on the learning group or whatever that the author mentions in his preface.
Engrossing Book.......2007-08-09
I found this book one of the best of its type. It gives a logical and understandable survey of the development of the English language from its earliest days -- the most interesting and illustrative part of the book -- to contemporary times. The first few chapters are particularly enjoyable though merit a second reading, not because of the presentation, but because of the complexity of the subject.
No page-turner.......2007-07-21
Others have covered the content and scope of this book sufficiently, so I wish only to echo those who found Lerer's writing dense and remarkably wooden. Readers may find it useful as a reference work, as something they can dip into here and there. But it is certainly no page-turner. For an educator who has much experience explicating arcane subjects for the lay person, Lerer is surprisingly dull, dull, dull!
Shaping Something Beautiful .......2007-07-19
I ordered INVENTING ENGLISH the minute I read the reviews and was not disappointed. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. Lerer, a Stanford professor who has produced audio lectures on the English language as well as a considerable backlog of scholarship, has created a highly readable book that goes back to the very origins of the language--its sounds, rhythms, organization, meanings and looks--in post-Roman Britain and then follows its very organic, human trail forward from Old English to Middle English to the modern language that leaped an ocean, spread across the New World and is still evolving.
Lerer has great passion for his topic and a gift for delivering information. While there is considerable technical content, it is incorporated effortlessly and backed up with a glossary and appendices. Citations from Old and Middle English literature are followed immediately by translations. With less than 300 pages, Lerer has to leap from lily pad to lily pad in time to show how the language grew with expanding human experience and was influenced by historical acts, but he seems to hit all the key moments: Caedmon in the 7th century wrapping his consonant-dense bluntish language around Christian concepts; chroniclers documenting daily lives and events; King Alfred organizing a nation state; the Norman Conquest introducing French and a language of court apart from a language of the countryside; Chaucer seizing on the internationalism of King Richard's reign; the Great Vowel Shift; Shakespeare inventing our modern language; orthographers attempting to corral it; American colonists consciously shaping it their way; and those who have continued to use it to interpret experience and communicate life, influenced by technology, warfare, politics and globalization.
There is something beautiful in a language where at the very beginning on a cold, rough shore, users were calling the ocean the "swan-road" and the "whale-road" and the word for poet was the word that became today's "shaper." It is amazing to see that even in times when human endeavor has been at its most self-destructive, the language has been able to flower and step forward.
Dense And Uninteresting.......2007-07-17
Seth Lerer's Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language sounds like a good topic, but this book doesn't deliver. It's so boring and uninviting that it defies a reader to get into it. The classic in this field is the companion volume to PBS's The Story of English, which was released in the 1980's, and, unless I'm mistaken, was recently updated. The history of the English language makes for engrossing fare, but not in this book, or with this author.
Average customer rating:
- Not bad
- color index
- Good reference book
- Yes there are flaws, but still well worth it
- This is a creative tool. Don't use it as a Pantone Color Guide.
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Color Index: Over 1100 Color Combinations, CMYK and RGB Formulas, for Print and Web Media
Jim Krause
Manufacturer: How Design Books
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Binding: Turtleback
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Use of Color
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Process Color Manual: 24,000 CMYK combinations for design, prepress, and printing
ASIN: 1581802366 |
Book Description
The best-selling author of Idea Index and Layout Index returns with an all-new title! Color Index provides more than one thousand color combinations and formulas--guaranteed to help graphic artists solve design dilemmas and create effective images for both print and the Web.
From progressive colors to natural tones, Color Index makes choosing hues for any job easier! Designers will start working with color in exciting new ways and create original, eye-catching designs that pop off the page. It's all the inspiration they need to explore and experiment with color as never before!
Just like the other clever little design books in this series, Color Index is portable, packed with inspiration, and neatly packaged in a colorful, sturdy vinyl jacket.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad.......2007-08-03
Not to take anything away from this book, but there aren't a lot of color schemes that I would personally use. Maybe a few here and there, but definitely not enough that I would purchase this one again if I had to. But it does assist you in kicking around some other ideas. Not a bad book, but not my favorite either.
color index.......2007-03-25
this is a must have book for any graphic designer / web designer!!!
Good reference book.......2007-01-04
It's been helpfull, and explains little things that no one ever explained to me. Good buy.
Yes there are flaws, but still well worth it.......2006-12-29
This book is a great resource for those who sometimes have trouble putting together a good color scheme (and who doesn't have those troubles from time to time?). It's true that the colors won't look exactly the same as they do in the book. But this is still a great source for inspiration when you're stuck. You can use the formulas in the book as a starting place, and tweak them as necessary to make them work for you. I keep this book at my desk, and I and others that I work with refer to it often.
This is a creative tool. Don't use it as a Pantone Color Guide........2006-11-30
Fun, inspiring, portable, informative, usefull.
With over 1000 color combos grouped into minimally-versatile-titled chapters, concise brainstorming and color usage tips scattered around, and some carefully thought-out touches, this book is meant as a friendly companion who provides fuel for creativity to color users of all types as they explore color combinations for their specific projects, and it proved quite usefull to my design work. The color combos picked show that the author is a keen observer of color trends, as most of them can be applied handsomely to real work.
Obviously targeted towards beginners, it can provide ideeas even to experienced professionals. This is a book that pays out handsomely the more you spend time with it, as it mysteriously manages to benefically influence the color-centers in your brain :)
The book's strong points easily outweight it's few flaws -- color formula inaccuracy (you'll never get the right hues on your screen, use your eyes instead), some "useless" color-combos (meaning I can't figure out ANY style of project where they could be reasonably used), and obsolete info regarding color usage on the web. Some more information on color-theory is also a thing to be desired. Yeah, and don't expect to color like Raphael, Bruegel or Miro :) - even if the samples are provided, they look nothing like the real thing.
Although I feel I somewhat outgrew it and don't use it as often as before, this is one of the books I carry with me everyday at work.
Book Description
A Barron's bestseller for years, this book is better than ever in a brand new fourth edition. In addition to its standard vocabulary lists, this edition includes a new section called Panorama of Words. In this feature, each of the 1100 words appears in a sentence selected from among well known novels, plays, poems, and even newspaper editorials and TV broadcasts. The book is a vocabulary builder aimed directly at college-bound high school students, as well as college students who need extra vocabulary help. Students will find word lists with definitions, analogy exercises, entertaining word games, and fascinating words-in-context exercises.
Customer Reviews:
Make your kids smart.......2007-01-09
I got this originally in the 80s and when my kids were 4 and 6, started teaching them 5 words a week, spelling them, using them all week in sentences. they still (both in med school) remember the stories that are in this newer version as well and I bought one for each of them as a Chanukah gift to "remind them." they loved it. Good for adults too.
SAT made easy!.......2006-11-07
This book is designed well for studying a great number of words in a very systematic fashion.
A good vocabulary book.......2006-02-17
I've been living in US for 7 years. I don't have problem in my daily conversations and readings. However, I want to really learn how to use these words in my formal writing and speaking situations. These words are really good ones to know. I am still in the early stage of the book. I really enjoy it so far.
Excellent book.......2003-05-01
I would say this is one of the best books in the market. You learn 5 words a day with context taken from newspapers and books.There are exercises at the end of each day and at the end of each week.Like this they make up 1100 words.15 minutes a day is what we need to spend on this book. This is all we all need. Another good book is The Wizard Of OZ Vocabulary Builder.
1100 words you need to know.......2003-04-07
it is very helpful to my son. He copies the stories every morning. He got excellent scores at sat test.
Customer Reviews:
Super book.......2002-03-04
Great reference book! Gives you all the information you need to propagate--nurserymen to laymen.
A book by a pro for the professional propagator.......2002-01-23
I propagated woody plants as a sideline business for a number of years and considered this book THE source. For many species, specific concentrations for rooting hormones are specified. This is invaluable information since for many plants there is an optimal concentration and using a higher or lower concentration of reduces rooting success rates as well as root development.
Michael Dirr is the Absolute Expert in Plant Propagation.......2000-09-03
Dirr has done all the research and you reap all the rewards. His conclusions are backed up by many scientific studies by various individuals and groups. The first part gives a summary of the diferent propagation methods and the second part has very detailed data on specific species. I save hundreds of dollars each year by propagating by own southern magnolias, red tip photinas, and navel oranges. This is, by far, the best book on propagation out there!!
Woody Plant Propagation.......2000-04-19
Uncertain which manual would be best, the reviews on this book were so good that I selected it. I'd have to say it's the best all-around propagation manual I've seen for woody plants. The only problem: now I have not only detailed info on desired plant material, but also want to try SO many others!
This is the best book out there........1999-10-25
This is by far the best book out there on this subject. I have bought all the books on this subject and none can compare to this one. If you only want to buy one book on this subject this is the one.
Book Description
Here is the fascinating mirror of an age that was cruel and charitable, violent and courtly, bawdy and devout. Chronicle, burlesque, ballad, fable, debate, lyric, legend, lore, and drama follow one another in rich variety--"huge cloudy symbols of a high romance." In this comprehensive collection, editor Thomas J. Garbaty makes accessible to readers the landmarks of English prose, poetry, and drama for the years 1100 through 1500. For the most part, these vital works are presented complete in middle English. Readers are aided by an extensive system of margin glosses, supplemented by footnotes, a brief linguistic introduction to each work, and an authoritative General Introduction that places every selection within a medieval perspective.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Resource!.......2000-05-10
Dr. Garbaty's light touch as an editor coupled with the wonderfully helpful additional material helps open modern readers to another world. The depth and breadth of the collection shows just how much more there was in Medieval times than just Chaucer (as great as he was). A must have for any student, professional or amateur, of the English language.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but problems with practice.......2007-09-22
Introduction to Old English, is, overall, very well laid out. It is easy to understand and presents new material in an ordered way. My one problem, however, is with the practice sentences and texts. They require a much higher knowledge of Old English that could be expected at the very beginning levels. Besides that, there are no major problems, and it should be an otherwise good experience.
Excellent Text.......2007-01-14
I bought a copy of Baker's Introduction to Old English while taking a graduate course in order to supplement the other texts used. I found this to be a fantastic resource for the solo learner. The explanations were precise yet easy to understand and the exercises helped to illuminate the grammar points. I really enjoyed the online exercises, standard these days in foreign language courses, which quickly allowed me to grasp concepts. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Old English.
Learning Old English? Begin Here.......2006-04-14
Dr. Baker's "Introduction to Old English" is probably the best book for a person to use who has no previous experience with either Old English or traditional linguistics. I used this book as an undergraduate taking a graduate Old English course and found it most enjoyable and useful. Each chapter is quite easy to follow, and usually contain at least one "mini-text" which are short texts in Old English that you can read along the way. This method is especially useful; by the time you begin with the anthology of literature located in the back of the book, you've already read some simplier passages of Old English.
The book is worth its retail price simply for its collection of literature. Included here are the "The Wife's Lament", "The Wanderer", "Wulf and Eadwacer" and excerpts from "Judith" and "Beowulf". This book is even helpful for someone who has no previous study in the history of the English language, although those who do will find this book superbly accesible.
The Best Book for the Solo Learner.......2005-08-01
Professor Baker's relatively new book is the best one-volume start for someone learning Old English outside of a classroom setting. It is significantly better for this purpose than Mitchell's book, although Baker does not convey quite the same sense of enthusiasm that Mitchell does.
In addition to the expected format for a book such as this, which consists of grammar-oriented instruction, graded readings, and a glossary, there are excellent chapters on metrics, manuscript reading, and a fine bibliography and set of recommended readings. He even provides a chapter for the reader who might be deficient in common grammatical terms.
The highlight of the book, though, are the links to the online exercises, which provide a much more convenient method of practice. Focused practice is essential when learning a language, and the online exercises are much better than the usual handful of perfunctory exercises provided in graded grammars. In many such books, answers to the exercises aren't even provided.
In summary, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn to read and appreciate Old English on their own.
An Excellent Primer and Invaluable Resource.......2004-10-26
As a learning tool, Peter S. Baker's Introduction to Old English succeeds marvellously in that it is concise and clear without erring on the side of oversimplification. The ordering of chapters is intuitive and the key concepts are easily accreted along the way; in comparatively little time readers will acquire a wealth of knowledge, and in its practicality the book is sure not to intimidate the uninitiated.
The basic review of English grammar is both thorough and efficient without being overly pedantic. Unfortunately, more and more students of English are finding themselves ill-equipped and poorly acquainted with the basics of grammar. Baker's review will familiarize them with the grammatical essentials while simultaneously providing a useful review to those more accustomed to them. There is sufficient treatment of the main topics in the text without any superfluous explication that might confuse the introductory reader. Baker's plain English explanations are unambiguous and, where possible, he offers Modern English correlates and analogues that effectively frame the linguistic topic being discussed.
The chapters on the style and grammar of poetry are essential resources. Poetry makes up such a significant part of the extant Anglo-Saxon literature that it would be a failure on the part of the author to leave the student stranded in the intricacies of the form. Taking the chapter on reading manuscripts into consideration, as well as the appendices, Baker helps the student build a truly solid foundation upon which to base further study. The glossary, for example, allows students who are as yet unfamiliar Anglo-Saxon word forms to easily find what they are looking for, and will furnish them with the skills they need to approach more ambitious dictionaries.
The companion web site provides a variety of resources for the student. The Old English "Magic Sheet" is a tool that students will find invaluable in their initial approach to Anglo-Saxon Literature. As the student refers to it repeatedly in his or her reading, he or she will quickly become more familiar with the forms and may soon be weaned off of it. In each chapter there are references to relevant "Old English Aerobics" exercises online, which can assist students in need of some basic practice with the material. The ability to look up a word, part of speech, or clause with the click of a button is a testament to the work that was put into developing the resource. While I must applaud the author's forward thinking and effective use of the technology, getting online may yet provide challenges at times for certain students, and the exercises themselves can prove somewhat short and elementary. A simple solution to these minor problems might be to include self tutorial exercises in a new edition, or to publish a companion workbook at some point in the future. To my knowledge, no such resource exists in Old English, and it must be said that there is simply no substitute for routine practice when learning a new language.
These minor concerns are truly subordinate to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Though the book itself may not be a substitute for practice, passages appropriate for initiates to tackle and translate are included in the anthology, and students will find themselves far better equipped to approach Old English after having covered the main topics. It was with great pleasure that I found my own abilities dramatically improved after simply having covered the sixteen initial chapters. Introduction to Old English proves to be not only an exceedingly effective primer with regard to Anglo-Saxon literature, but an invaluable reference to accompany further readings and studies within the context of the language. Every student of Old English should sleep with a copy of this book under their pillow.
Book Description
1900. Part One of Two. This work, laid out in a two-column format, includes a list of authors referred to and an introduction covering the Ionic and Attic dialects, the periods of the Greek language, foreign elements in the language, and grammatical notes. The lexical detail is full and accurate, providing useful background material for the study of the New Testament. Of most value is Sophocle's Introduction, in which he gives a nice linguistic survey of the language and discusses the many influences other languages had upon this period. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s): 1417947942.
Customer Reviews:
You'll want your money back!.......2005-12-01
Sophocles' lexicon itself is mediocre, yet useful enough for anyone working with Greek literature from the late ancient or medieval period; I use it daily. This edition, though, is execrable. The print quality is so poor that at points the text is virtually unreadable. Page 1187 appears where page 1087 belongs; page 1086 doesn't appear anywhere, it seems. Watch out for missing text at the bottom of pages, as well. A reviewer of another edition of this work states, "It has a fairly complete 'Authors Referred To...' section in the introduction which identifies all of the in-text references." If a section entitled "Authors Referred To . . ." is to be found anywhere in Kessinger's shoddily produced two-volume set of Sophocles' lexicon, it is very well hidden; I haven't come across it in months of regular use. If you know how I can find out what cryptic citations like "Lyd. 127" mean, please let me know.
I recommend that potential buyers spend a bit more money and acquire a serviceable--and complete--edition of Sophocles' lexicon.
Book Description
Venetian merchants of the Middle Ages imported more than precious spices and textiles from the far reaches of the eastern Mediterranean, they also acquired a wealth of visual ideas and information from Islamic culture, this book shows. Architectural historian Deborah Howard explores the range of buildings that reflected Muslim imagery and discusses the complexities of importing such ideas to an unambiguously Christian city.
Customer Reviews:
dont get carried away.......2007-08-03
The importance with books of this sort, is dont get carried away. Islam is a big question today, and intercultural history is a top priority, but accuracy should always trump political fads. Venice is by far a city of Byzantine and Gothic, much less Islamic influence. The book fails to make this sufficiently clear, and can leave the reader with the impression that Venice, and the Renaissance had Oriental roots. This is plain wrong.
The Many Veils of Venice.......2007-06-25
Deborah Howard is steeped in the enigma of Venetian architecture and gives a fabulous interpretation of its development through trading relationships with the Islamic world from 1100-1500 AD.
By emphasising the mental `Transmission and Propagation' of Islamic imagery as much as any materialistic one through trade, Howard shows just how elastic the `process of cultural diffusion' was and restores the importance of the oral tradition in the `reformulation' of that imagery into another space and time.
Her focus on the Middle East draws our attention away from Constantinople, bringing out the importance of Alexandria as one of the main sources of cultural inspiration.
In a vivid example of a rescued and transformed architectural motif, Howard mentions at length the lighthouse Pharos of Alexandria. This wonder of the ancient world was still standing when Islam spread across the North African coast and its secular function as a light in dark places became a potent spiritual symbol with the slimmed down rise of many a minaret.
The offspring of Pharos continued to multiply with Venice contributing several of its own; the last example, Codussi's campanile for the cathedral church of San Pietro di Castello with, `its snow-white ashlar masonry . . . stands at the eastern end of the city, as a beacon for the sea borne traveller from the east.'
The Great Umayyed Mosque in Damascus also gets singled out for special attention as does the Abbasid and Fatimid periods in general, with their legacy of impressive building projects that impacted upon the mind of many a Venetian merchant.
Howard reminds us how the papal ban on trade with Moslems became more than just a tiresome irritant for the Venetians. With so much lucrative trade at stake, the essence of its survival, good relations with the Moslem Middle East were a necessity; in Cairo for example, `only Venetian gold ducats are accepted currency.'
Venice also became a facilitator in pilgrim traffic to Jerusalem and it is the combination of so many of those factors that makes Deborah Howard's narrative so interesting. With splendid photographs and maps to reinforce her view, we look at Venice with fresh eyes while the ghost of bygone Alexandria dazzles, mirage like, before us.
The ripe old civilisations of the east were infused with much positive creativity in the wake of Islamic conquests: Howard's narrative helps dissolve the rigid and outdated paradigm of a `clash of civilisations,' revealing a grudging sense of admiration by many a Christian merchant and pilgrim who stood witness to Islamic ways of life and became transmitters of that imagery back to Venice.
An unusual book: Highly recommended!
Venice's love affair with the Orient.......2001-03-16
Clearly one of the best art books of the year, Venice and the East traces the impact of Islamic art on the Venetian imagination -- as evident in its architecture. Though stunning illustrations that compare Venetian and Islamic architecture and a well-written text based on primary sources, author Deborah Howard shows that, in the heyday of Levantine trade, Venetian merchants brought back more than spices and cotton from the Islamic world. They also brought back visions of paradise: Islamic styles in gardens, courtyards and palaces that evoked not just Eastern sensuality but also biblical grandeur and spirituality. Although Howard gives ample attention to the borrowing of specific architectural motifs -- balconies, crenellated walls and ogee windows -- she goes well beyond a cataloging of borrowed style. This is, most of all, a study in cultural assimilation -- of ideas as much as architectural form -- and is well worth treasuring whether your passion runs to architecture, history, sociology, or more simply: to gorgeously illustrated coffee table books.
Book Description
Wielding their swords in the name of their faith, the crusaders originally set out to reclaim Jerusalem and its surrounding territory in the Middle East. Increasingly, however, Eastern Europe and the last remaining bastions of pagan Europe became the targets of their religious zeal.
The era officially began in 1147, when the Saxons, Danes, and Poles, responding to Pope Eugene III's call, initiated a crusade against the Wends of the Southern Baltic. This was followed by crusades against the Livonians, Estonians, Finns, Prussians, and Lithuanians. By the 13th century much of the responsibility for sustaining these crusades fell to the Teutonic Knights, a military order formed in the Holy Land in 1190. They were aided by the constant support of the Roman pontiff and by a steady flow of mercenaries from throughout Christendom.
The subsequent Scandinavian campaigns laid the foundations of modern Baltic society by destroying pagan rural farming settlements, and establishing fortified Christian towns and major castles. As with the majority of crusades, the prospective acquisition of land and power was the one of the key driving forces behind these bloody military expeditions.
This book reveals the colorful history of these Crusades when the soldiers of the Pope fought their way across Eastern Europe and inexorably changed the future of the continent.
Customer Reviews:
Good.......2007-07-21
I thought it was a good book but it did not have very much info in it and the middle pictures were not great.
Long Live McBride!.......2007-05-07
If you like the wizard of Middle Ages Europe Illustrations then get this one. While the text is fairly good, the Illustrations are the reason why I bought this book.
A key pick........2007-04-10
D. Lindholm and D. Nicolle's THE SCANDINAVIAN BALTIC CRUSADES 1100-1500 covers the weaponry, armor and ships of the expeditions of the Scandinavian Catholics against the pagans to the east of the Baltics. This is a specialty coverage indeed and so will be limited to collections strong in early military history - but little has been written about this phase of the medieval Crusades and so it's a key pick.
Baltic Crusaders.......2007-04-07
This book gives an informative examination of perhaps the most ignored period of the Crusades. Both the text and the plates detail the appearance and tactics of the Danes, Swedes, Finns, and Teutonic Order, and their typically pagan Slavic and Lithuanain enemies. Plate C also gives an interesting portrayal of the origins of the Danish Flag.
Angus McBride...Unconquered............2007-03-10
This is a wonderfully written book, as one has come to expect from Dr. Nicolle...with some nice local color from Scandinavian writer David Lindholm...yet it is once again those wonderful illustrations by the amazing Angus McBride that captured my imagination. Past his mid 70's Angus' work is still bright, emotional and tells a story expertly.
Most center on the German Armies of the era, this includes the powerful Swedes and Danes and also includes the Russian and Slavic Armies who were waiting for their invasions. Every plate is a gem and coupled with the superb schloarship from the two authors this makes for a very interesting and unique read.
Highly recommended.
Sadly, Angus passed away on May 15th, 2007...this would be one of his last books for Osprey. On a personal note I'd hope you will consider it as a way of honoring the memory of a truly great artist........
Book Description
For more than 30 years, A Guide to Old English has been the standard introduction to Old English language and literature. This updated seventh edition retains the structure and style of the popular previous editions, and includes two new, much-requested texts - the Cotton Gnomes and Wulfstan 's Sermo Lupi ad Anglos - and two new appendices: A List of Linguistic Terms Used in This Book and The Moods of Old English.The book is composed of two parts. Part One presents an introduction to the Old English language, including orthography and pronunciation, inflexions, word formation, and an authoritative section on syntax. This is followed by an introduction to Anglo-Saxon studies, which discusses language, literature, history, archaeology, and ways of life. Sound-changes are treated as they become relevant in understanding apparent irregularities in inflexion. Part Two contains prose and verse texts, most of them complete, which fully reveal the range that Old English offers in subject matter, style, and emotional intensity. Full explanatory notes accompany all the texts, and a detailed glossary is provided.The new edition of this highly-acclaimed Guide is an essential reference for anyone wanting to gain a greater understanding and enjoyment of the language and literature of the Anglo-Saxons.
Customer Reviews:
No good structure for learning.......2007-01-04
Having read several other language texts, I was expecting an organization wherein each chapter consists of an explanation of a set of concepts, in increasing order of difficulty, followed by several examples (initially completely contrived, later becoming more authentic) that illustrate those concepts for practice purposes. This book, however, attempts to teach Old English by first simply listing all the rules of the language (often, as other reviewers have noted, in no particular order) and then presenting a stack of texts to decipher. The quality of the glossary notwithstanding, this is not a good way to learn a language, and only the similarities between Old and Modern English make it possible at all. By contrast, I learned Ancient Greek from the appropriately titled Teach Yourself Ancient Greek much better and more easily despite that language's innate difficulty owing to a far superior tutorial structure. If this is, as others suggest, the best available Old English primer, then I must regrettably conclude that it is not at present possible to learn Old English on one's own purely for fun; if you use this book, you will either fail to learn the language or fail to have fun, or quite possibly both.
comprehensive but often lacks organization.......2006-12-19
If you only buy one book to learn Old English, this should be it. It's been the main text in both of the Old English classes I've taken. It's the most comprehensive offering available (as far as I know): it includes chapters on syntax and poetics and information on A-S culture. The introductions to the texts are often excellent, and--as someone else commented--the texts are organized by difficulty. The glossary is also everything a student could want: not only does it give the meaning of the term, but it lists all the places in all of the texts where the poem is used, and for each usage, it tells you number, gender, and case. Impressive.
However, much of this valuable information is presented as a hodgepodge of information. There is little rhyme or reason to the organization of the verb tables, for instance: the order of tenses often varies from table to table for no apparent reason. There are no section headings (unlike in Bright's grammar, where declensions are clearly labeled). In the chapter on Nouns, for instance, no explicit attempt is made to group the 18+ different paradigms into categories, although it would be easy enough to group these paradigms into declensions. The authors have also decided to include phonology and sound change information within their discussion of the grammar, but--again--they fail to include headings or signposts that could help the beginning student *understand* the connection between the phonology and the grammar. I found the organization of Bright's to be much more helpful. If you are using this text, you should plan on taking a lot of notes: much of the information in this book must be categorized and rearranged into more logical sequences in order to be used most fruitfully.
The best thing--in my experience--is to use this book alongside another grammar such as Bright's Old English Grammar or _An Old English Grammar_ by Quirk and Wrenn. These grammars will both help you understand the "big picture" of English grammar, which you can then use to reconstruct Michell and Robinson.
As of yet, there seems to be no strong, authoritative, highly accessible introductory textbook for Old English, comparable to Wheelock's in Latin. This book is the best of an uneven lot.
Excellent Single-Volume Introduction to Old English.......2006-03-26
This is not the best reader, the best grammar, or the best primer, but if you're looking to use just *one* introductory book before tackling longer readings with a dictionary, Mitchell and Robinson have created a fantastic resource. Work through and memorise the basic inflections as outlined in the introduction, then read up on the basic syntax, and then jump into the eighteen readings while slowly working through the rest of the grammar. Some initiative is required: Lessons and vocab lists aren't prepared for you. However, combined with a modicum of diligence and industry, this is a great way to learn Old English.
The perfect guide.......2003-12-26
This book is brilliantly thought out and executed. It makes learning Old English wonderful challenging fun. By far the best book of it's kind available.
Confusing and Vague.......2003-09-24
Well...MOST of the information is there but you have to hunt to find it as it it very poorly organized. They use some vary strange comparisons to illustrate pronunciation, so if you can't speak German of French you'll just have to guess. Many of the passages are worded so strangely that they need to be reread 3 or 4 times.
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