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

This book is more than the story of the OED - it goes back to the origins of English words the development of dictionaries from Samuel Johnson onwards - a fascinating tale. The author then moves into the 19th century to consider the role of a number of influential figures including Richard Chenevix-Trench, Dean of Westminster , Benjamin Jowett and the redoubtable James Murray, who finally brought the project to fruition, As well as vivid pen portraits, the book is illustrated with quaint and evocative photographs of many notable contributors.