{"product_id":"the-adventure-of-english-the-biography-of-a-language","title":"The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language","description":"“Superb. . . . Inspiring.”—Newsday. “A captivating history.”--The Daily Telegraph. “A thorough and incredibly enjoyable trip down a linguistic memory lane.”—Bloomsbury Review\n\nHere is the riveting story of the English language, from its humble beginnings as a regional dialect to its current preeminence as the one global language, spoken by more than two billion people worldwide. In this groundbreaking book, Melvyn Bragg shows how English conquered the world. It is a magnificent adventure, full of jealousy, intrigue, and war—against a hoard of invaders, all armed with their own conquering languages, which bit by bit, the speakers of English absorbed and made their own.\n\nAlong the way, its colorful story takes in a host of remarkable people, places, and events: the Norman invasion of England in 1066; the arrival of The Canterbury Tales and a “coarse” playwright named William Shakespeare, who added 2,000 words to the language; the songs of slaves; the words of Davy Crockett; and the Lewis and Clark expedition, which led to hundreds of new words as the explorers discovered unknown flora and fauna.\n\nThe Adventure of English is an enthralling story not only of power, religion, and trade, but also of a people and how they changed the world.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 1611450071\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: DBV.1611450071.A\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Acceptable\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Bragg, Melvyn\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: This copy has clearly been enjoyed—expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dream Books Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41598316806202,"sku":"DBV.1611450071.A","price":8.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/6011\/0138\/files\/1611450071-0.jpg?v=1786853898","url":"https:\/\/shop.dreambooksco.com\/products\/the-adventure-of-english-the-biography-of-a-language","provider":"Dream Books Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}