Henry Hitchings

Journey into the history of English and discover how words have been absorbed into our language to make it what it is today.Communication is essential to our lives, but how often do we stop to think about where the words we use have come from? Have you ever thought about which words in English have been borrowed from Arabic, French or Dutch? Try admiral, landscape and marmalade just for starters. The Secret Life of Words is a wide-ranging account not only of the history of English, but also of how words witness history, reflect social change and remind us of our turbulent past. Henry Hitchings delves into our promiscuous language and reveals how and why it has absorbed words from more than 350 other languages many originating from the most unlikely of places, such as shampoo from Hindi and kiosk from Turkish.From the Norman Conquest to the present day, Hitchings narrates the story of English as an archive of our human experience and uncovers the secrets behind everyday words. This is a celebration of our language; after reading it, you will never again take the words we use for granted.

Ever wondered how some people seem to have an opinion on every book ever published? Nowadays, there are so many books: how can anyone be well read anymore? Well, help is at hand. Let Henry Hitchings educate you in the invaluable skill of literary bluffing in this survivors guide to talking about books you havent read. With tips on how to bluff with confidence using quotable insights and invaluable trivia, Henry Hitchings covers all the great books you ought to have read but havent got round to yet. If you want to be able to hold your own in a debate about Stephen Hawking or Philip Roth or perhaps you find Shakespeare or Dostoevsky intimidating, then look no further. Including literary heavyweights such as Ulysses, Bleak House and War and Peace this guide will equip you with all the bookish information you need to bluff your way through any scenario, be it a vital exam, an in-depth conversation at the pub or chatting up the potential love of your life. Contents includes, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Henry James, James Joyce, Proust, Homer, Virgil, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Dickens, various contemporary writers, the Bible, the Koran, fairy tales, select bestsellers and some poetry.

Most of us know a bit about what passes for good manners - holding doors open, sending thank-you notes, no elbows on the table. We certainly know bad manners when we see them. But where has this patchwork of beliefs and behaviours come from? How did manners develop? How do they change? And why do they matter so much to us? In examining our manners, Henry Hitchings delves into the English character and investigates our notions of Englishness. Sorry! presents an amusing, illuminating and quirky audit of English manners. From basic table manners to appropriate sexual conduct, via hospitality, chivalry, faux pas and online etiquette, Hitchings traces the history of our countrys customs and courtesies.Putting under the microscope some of our most astute observers of humanity, including Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys, he uses their lives and writings to pry open the often downright peculiar secrets of the English character. Hitchings blend of history, anthropology and personal journey helps us understand our bizarre and contested cultural baggage - and ourselves.

The English language is a battlefield. Since the age of Shakespeare, arguments over correct usage have been acrimonious, and those involved have always really been contesting values - to do with morality, politics and class. THE LANGUAGE WARS examines the present state of the conflict, its history and its future. Above all, it uses the past as a way of illuminating the present. Moving chronologically, the book explores the most persistent issues to do with English and unpacks the history of proper usage. Where did these ideas spring from? Which of todays bugbears and annoyances are actually venerable? Who has been on the front line in the language wars? THE LANGUAGE WARS examines grammar rules, regional accents, swearing, spelling, dictionaries, political correctness, and the role of electronic media in reshaping language. It also takes a look at such niggling concerns as the split infinitive, elocution and text messaging. Peopled with intriguing characters such as Jonathan Swift, H. W. Fowler and George Orwell as well as the more disparate figures of Lewis Carroll, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lenny Bruce, THE LANGUAGE WARS is an essential volume for anyone interested in the state of the English language today or intrigued about its future.

Communication is essential to our lives, but how often do we stop to think about where the words we use have come from? Have you ever thought about which words in English have been borrowed from Arabic, French or Dutch? Try admiral, landscape and marmalade just for starters. The Secret Life of Words is a wide-ranging account not only of the history of English, but also of how words witness history, reflect social change and remind us of our turbulent past. Henry Hitchings delves into our promiscuous language and reveals how and why it has absorbed words from more than 350 other languages many originating from the most unlikely of places, such as shampoo from Hindi and kiosk from Turkish.From the Norman Conquest to the present day, Hitchings narrates the story of English as an archive of our human experience and uncovers the secrets behind everyday words. This is a celebration of our language; after reading it, you will never again take the words we use for granted.

A cabinet of curiosities, a time machine, a treasure trove - we love bookshops because they possess a unique kind of magic. In Browse Henry Hitchings asks fifteen writers from around the world to reveal their favourite bookshops, each conjuring a specific time and place.Ali Smith chronicles the secrets and personal stories hidden within the pages of secondhand books; Alaa Al Aswany tells of the Cairo bookshop where revolutionaries gathered during the 2011 uprisings; Elif Shafak evokes the bookstores of Istanbul, their chaos and diversity, their aroma of tobacco and coffee. Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor recalls the quandary of choosing just one book at a favourite childhood store in Nairobi, while Iain Sinclair shares his grief on witnessing a beloved old haunt close down. Others explore bookshops they have stumbled upon, adored and become addicted to, from Delhi to Bogota.These inquisitive, enchanting pieces are a collective celebration of bookshops - for anyone who has ever fallen under their spell.Contributors include:Alaa Al Aswany (Egypt)Stefano Benni (Italy)Michael Dirda (USA)Daniel Kehlmann (Germany)Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine)Yiyun Li (China)Pankaj Mishra (India)Dorthe Nors (Denmark)Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor (Kenya)Elif Shafak (Turkey)Ian Sansom (UK)Iain Sinclair (UK)Ali Smith (UK)Saa Staniic (Germany/Bosnia)Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Colombia)

Hitchings is extremely good at unravelling Johnsons most bullish assertions . . . lucid and empathetic, scholarly but lively. A model Johnsonian, in fact.The TimesThe World in Thirty-Eight Chapters or Dr Johnsons Guide to Life is a source of profound good sense about what it means to teach, read, write and travel. More than that, though, Henry Hitchings continually translates Samuel Johnsons experience of poverty, scorn, pain and madness into a rich understanding of how to be.Samuel Johnson was a critic, an essayist, a poet and a biographer. He was also, famously, the compiler of the first good English dictionary, published in 1755. A polymath and a great conversationalist, his intellectual and social curiosity were boundless. Yet he was a deeply melancholy man, haunted by dark thoughts, sickness and a diseased imagination. In his own life, both public and private, he sought to choose a virtuous and prudent path, negotiating everyday hazards and temptations. His writings and aphorisms illuminate what it means to lead a life of integrity, and his experience, abundantly documented by him and by others (such as James Boswell and Hester Thrale), is a lesson in the art of regulating the mind and the body.Johnsons story touches on many themes that have enduring significance. He was, and remains, a perceptive commentator on the vanity of human wishes, the rewards and dangers of charity, the need to cultivate kindness, the complexities of family life (especially marriage), the effects of boredom and the fleeting nature of pleasure. He writes and speaks incisively and humanely about the ego, ambition, hypocrisy, fallibility and disorders of the mind, as well as the corrosive effects of obsession, the precariousness of fame and the skulduggery of the literary world.

By 1700, France and Italy already had dictionaries of their own, and it became a matter of national pride that England should rival them. Dr Johnson rose to the challenge, turning over the garret of his London home to the creation of his Dictionary. He imagined it would take three years. Eight years later it was finally published, full of idiosyncrasies, but complete nevertheless. It would become the most important British cultural monument of the eighteenth century. This is the story of Johnsons attempt to define each and every word. In wonderfully engaging chapters, Hitchings describes Johnsons adventure - his ambition and vision, his moments of despair, the mistakes he made along the way and his ultimate triumph.

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado por qué hay gente que parece tener una opinión sobre todos los libros que se han publicado? En la actualidad existe un gran volumen de libros, así que ¿cómo se puede ser culto con este panorama? Si has dejado para mas adelante leer a Jane Austen, o quieres defenderte en un debate sobre El tiempo perdido de Proust, no busques mas. Con consejos sobre como fingir saber de todo con seguridad, utilizando citas y curiosidades que no tienen precio, Henry Hitchings aborda con ingenio los libros mas destacados que se supone todo el mundo deberia haber leido. Esta guia te proporcionara toda la informacion literaria que necesitas para salir airoso de cualquier situacion, ya sea un examen crucial, una conversacion profunda en el bar o una charla con quien puede ser el amor de tu vida. Si hay un libro que deberias encontrar tiempo para leer, es este.

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado por qué hay gente que parece tener una opinión sobre todos los libros que se han publicado? En la actualidad existe un gran volumen de libros, así que ¿cómo se puede ser culto con este panorama?Si has dejado para mas adelante leer a Jane Austen, o quieres defenderte en un debate sobre El tiempo perdido de Proust, no busques mas. Con consejos sobre como fingir saber de todo con seguridad, utilizando citas y curiosidades que no tienen precio, Henry Hitchings aborda con ingenio los libros mas destacados que se supone todo el mundo deberia haber leido. Esta guia te proporcionara toda la informacion literaria que necesitas para salir airoso de cualquier situacion, ya sea un examen crucial, una conversacion profunda en el bar o una charla con quien puede ser el amor de tu vida. Si hay un libro que deberias encontrar tiempo para leer, es este.

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado por qué hay gente que parece tener una opinión sobre todos los libros que se han publicado? En la actualidad existe un gran volumen de libros, así que ¿cómo se puede ser culto con este panorama? Si has dejado para mas adelante leer a Jane Austen, o quieres defenderte en un debate sobre El tiempo perdido de Proust, no busques mas. Con consejos sobre como fingir saber de todo con seguridad, utilizando citas y curiosidades que no tienen precio, Henry Hitchings aborda con ingenio los libros mas destacados que se supone todo el mundo deberia haber leido. Esta guia te proporcionara toda la informacion literaria que necesitas para salir airoso de cualquier situacion, ya sea un examen crucial, una conversacion profunda en el bar o una charla con quien puede ser el amor de tu vida. Si hay un libro que deberias encontrar tiempo para leer, es este.