The Warden of English by Jenny Mcmorris

The Warden of English by Jenny Mcmorris

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Summary

A biography of Henry Watson Fowler (1858-1933), revealing his work on "The King's English", "Modern English Usage", and the "Concise" and "Pocket Oxford" dictionaries. Against the descriptions of his work is set the story of a man who changed career and risked all to begin a new life as a writer.

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The Warden of English by Jenny Mcmorris

Henry Watson Fowler was born in Tonbridge, Kent, in 1858. This is the first full biography of his life, and is based on meticulous research from previously unpublished papers, letters, and material from the Oxford University Press archives. It tells the story of his work on The King's English and Modern English Usage, and on the Concise and Pocket Oxford Dictionaries, and of his collaboration on some of these projects with his brother Frank. The development of the Fowlers' books is described for the first time, from the struggles to achieve an acceptable style for the Concise and Pocket Oxford Dictionaries, to the planning and preparation of Modern English Usage. Against the descriptions of Fowler's work is set the story of a man whose career began as a schoolmaster, but who moved to London to begin a new life as a writer. Jenny McMorris chronicles the life of a fascinating and colourful figure who, amongst other things, found love and married at the age of 50, and struggled with the authorities to be able to enlist during World War I at an elderly age. Written to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the publication of Fowler's Modern English Usage, this fascinating account of one of the most influential figures in the history of the development of the English language gives an insight into the man behind the scholar.

Jenny McMorris is the Archivist for the Oxford English Dictionaries at Oxford University Press.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780198662549
ISBN 10 0198662548
Title The Warden of English
Author Jenny Mcmorris
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Hardback
Publisher Oxford University Press
Year published 2001-09-01
Number of pages 262
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.