Caught in the Web of Words

James Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary

K.M. Elisabeth Murray, Robert W. Burchfield, R. W. Burchfield

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English

Yale University
01 March 2001

Biography; Biography: historical, political & military; Lexicography

This unique and celebrated biography describes how a largely self-educated boy from a small village in Scotland entered the world of scholarship and became the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary and a great lexicographer. It also provides an absorbing account of how the dictionary was written, the personalities of the people working on it, and the endless difficulties that nearly led to the whole enterprise being abandoned.

“It is a magnificent story of a magnificent man, one of the finest biographies of the twentieth century, as its subject was one of the finest human beings of the nineteenth.” —Anthony Burgess

“A moving and dramatic story . . . sometimes tragic, often comic, ultimately triumphant.” —Times (London)

“A biography that possesses many of the virtues of James Murray himself—grace, humor, intelligence, curiosity, and scholarship.” —Time

“In her vivid biography, Murray’s granddaughter brings his remarkable personality to life, and provides an unexpectedly fascinating account of the OED’s long and difficult birth.” —Times Literary Supplement

“A gripping, engaging story; endearing, too. The daily round of a big Victorian family, with its jokes, games, and treasured seaside holidays, is entrancingly evoked.” —Sunday Times (London)

By: K.M. Elisabeth Murray
Preface by: R. W. Burchfield
Foreword by: Robert W. Burchfield
Imprint: Yale University
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 3mm
Weight: 435g
ISBN: 9780300089196
ISBN 10: 0300089198
Pages: 404
Publication Date: 01 March 2001
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , Professional and scholarly , Primary , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

K.M. Elisabeth Murray is James Murray's granddaughter and was formerly Principal of Bishop Otter College of Education, Chichester, England.

Reviews for Caught in the Web of Words: James Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary

""It is a magnificent story of a magnificent man, one of the finest biographies of the twentieth century, as its subject was one of the finest human beings of the nineteenth."" Anthony Burgess ""A moving and dramatic story... sometimes tragic, often comic, ultimately triumphant."" The Times ""A biography that possesses many of the virtues of James Murray himself - grace, humour, intelligence, curiosity, and scholarship."" Time ""In her vivid biography, Murray's granddaughter brings his remarkable personality to life, and provides an unexpectedly fascinating account of the O.E.D.'s long and difficult birth."" Times Literary Supplement ""A gripping, engaging story; endearing, too. The daily round of a big Victorian family, with its jokes, games, and treasured seaside holidays, is entrancingly evoked."" The Sunday Times""