The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary

Simon Winchester tells the making of the Oxford English Dictionary, which took some seventy years from its start in 1857. The central figure is James Murray, the Scottish editor who organised a vast volunteer network sending in quotations on slips of paper, with Frederick Furnivall and others contributing. Winchester describes how words were collected, how definitions were written, and the sheer labour behind a complete record of the language.

A satisfying read for word lovers, history fans and anyone interested in how reference works get built. It is anecdotal, affectionate and full of odd characters, and gives the dictionary a human face.

Outward-looking and clear-cut; a moderate read.

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