Book Review: "The Professor and the Madman" by Simon Winchester

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity & the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon Book Description

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.


We live in the days of the information age where dependence on technology and its never-ending stream of portable electronic devices serve as a means to promulgate the use of "text-speak" and relegate the great art of letter writing and conversation to be seen as old fashioned and verbose. There are a dying number of lexicographers and etymologists that will always be fascinated by and loyal to the written word, especially in its printed and bound medium. This is a tale of history that is witty, intriguing and enlightening as to the massive undertaking of creating the Oxford English Dictionary. So much of the finished product was a result of fate and the role it played in bringing together the great minds that contributed to this monumental task. A must read for the lover of words as well as those who enjoy learning about history, especially when the truth is many times stranger than fiction.