The Adventure of English (Melvyn Bragg)

Melvyn Bragg succeeds in creating a story that lives up to it title. This is a true swash-buckling adventure, full of invasions, rebellions, skulduggery and blossoming new relationships. English, as a living language, tells its own tale under Bragg's guiding hand, developing from the 4th century to modern adaptations. The early chapters explore the French connections and Scandinavian roots of Anglo-Saxon in some detail, but the book comes to life with the religious battles to control access to the bible and translations. The second half of the book describes the spread of English across the globe, the variations that have sprung from this release and modern changes to a global language. Fascinating