Simon Horobin is Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Magdalen College. He has written extensively on the history, structure, and uses of the English language. He is the author of How English Became English (OUP, 2016), Does Spelling Matter? (OUP, 2013), and books on the history of English, and the language of Chaucer.
Horobin clearly loves the English language, but unlike many self-proclaimed language experts, he is not fearful of what the future of English may hold ... How English Became English reminds me what it was that I found so fascinating about the English language. * Jenny Hallquist, Babel * this book was as good as expected * The Bookbag * Distilling an inexhaustible topic into 170 short pages. Horobin gives an unstuffy guide to the descent, dialects and global diversification of English. Pragmatic rather than pedantic, he eschews grammarian finger-wagging in favour of some pointers on why we still care about getting it 'right'. * Oxford Today * Horobin's succinctness is impressive * Times Literary Supplement * We all have our hobbyhorses when it comes to the finer points of English grammar. Simon Horobin's witty book provides the antidote to our pedantry. * Jonathan Wright, Herald * Horobin is ... on a laudable and ... interesting mission to educate the wider public. * Faramerz Dabhoiwala, Guardian * informative and entertaining new book * Oliver Kamm, The Times * There's a lot of detailed information in this succinct book and it's very readable * Susan Elkin, Independent on Sunday * A happy mixture of scholarship, clear writing, and humour * Kirkus * In this concise narrative of the history of the English language, Horobin analyzes historical context just enough to unfurl the object called 'English.' * Library Journal, starred review * Review from previous edition Simon Horobin's marvellous How English Became English ... should be handed to every pedant you know. * Jonathan Wright, Books of the Year 2016, Catholic Herald *