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The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight over the English Language
A compelling history of the national conflicts that resulted from efforts to produce the first definitive American dictionary of English
In The Dictionary Wars, Peter Martin recounts the patriotic fervor in the early American republic to produce a definitive national dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary of the English Language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into a battle among lexicographers, authors, scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.
The overwhelming questions in the dictionary wars involved which and whose English was truly American and whether a dictionary of English should attempt to be American at all, independent from Britain. Martin tells the human story of the intense rivalry between America’s first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, who fought over who could best represent the soul and identity of American culture. Webster believed an American dictionary, like the American language, ought to be informed by the nation’s republican principles, but Worcester thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far. Their conflict continued beyond Webster’s death, when the ambitious Merriam brothers acquired publishing rights to Webster’s American Dictionary and launched their own language wars. From the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the Civil War, the dictionary wars also engaged America’s colleges, libraries, newspapers, religious groups, and state legislatures at a pivotal historical moment that coincided with rising literacy and the print revolution.
Delving into the personal stories and national debates that arose from the conflicts surrounding America’s first dictionaries, The Dictionary Wars examines the linguistic struggles that underpinned the founding and growth of a nation.
In The Dictionary Wars, Peter Martin recounts the patriotic fervor in the early American republic to produce a definitive national dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary of the English Language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into a battle among lexicographers, authors, scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.
The overwhelming questions in the dictionary wars involved which and whose English was truly American and whether a dictionary of English should attempt to be American at all, independent from Britain. Martin tells the human story of the intense rivalry between America’s first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, who fought over who could best represent the soul and identity of American culture. Webster believed an American dictionary, like the American language, ought to be informed by the nation’s republican principles, but Worcester thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far. Their conflict continued beyond Webster’s death, when the ambitious Merriam brothers acquired publishing rights to Webster’s American Dictionary and launched their own language wars. From the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the Civil War, the dictionary wars also engaged America’s colleges, libraries, newspapers, religious groups, and state legislatures at a pivotal historical moment that coincided with rising literacy and the print revolution.
Delving into the personal stories and national debates that arose from the conflicts surrounding America’s first dictionaries, The Dictionary Wars examines the linguistic struggles that underpinned the founding and growth of a nation.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 28, 2019
54 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
About the author
Peter Martin
11 books7 followersPeter Martin is a graduate of and current Professor of English at Principia College, and a former garden historian for Colonial Williamsburg. He has written several books on historical and biographical topics, including: Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Edmond Malone, and gardens and gardening in Williamsburg since 1600.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 28, 2021
Один из главных словарей в истории английского языка был опубликован британцем Сэмюэлем Джонсоном в 1755 году (сейчас самым крутым считается Oxford English Dictionary, начал выходить в 1884), но Америка на то и страна возможностей, чтобы даже у лексикографов был шанс войти в историю.
Книга Мартина рассказывает об истории американской лексикографии (не Вебстером единым!), в частности, о том, почему в США появилась своя орфография, как, на чьи деньги и на чьём энтузиазме составляли и публиковали первые словари — звучит суховато, но на самом деле сплошные скандалы и интриги, в жизни бы не подумала.
Можно читать вместо какого-нибудь политического триллера.
February 11, 2021
I first heard of this book from Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster, in his presentation at last year’s ACES conference. He recommended it highly and shared some of the history that author Peter Martin covers in the book. I’ve finally had the chance to read it, and I learned a lot. The story of the development of dictionaries in the United States is bigger than just the printed books—it’s really the story of language change, national identity, cultural shifts, education, journalism, commerce, and more. For someone (like me) who is endlessly fascinated by language, this history of the nineteenth century in America is very interesting.
We all know the name “Webster,” but I didn’t know that Noah Webster was such a jerk. I think he’s someone who would have thrived on social media, had he lived in our era. He couldn’t resist getting the last word in often personal attacks through pamphlets and newspapers. His main opponent in the dictionary wars was Joseph Worcester, who by all rights should be a much better-known name than Webster’s. Webster v. Worcester are the “Ford v. Ferrari” of this story. Where Webster was the bombastic, fame-hungry, arrogant personality who created a dictionary (1828) that is full of misguided ideas and outright errors (especially in the bizarre etymologies), Worcester was the careful, thorough, steadily working scholar. Webster (and, after his death, George and Charles Merriam) weren’t content until they’d dragged everyone around them down to their level of obnoxious argument, but at the end of it all, it was Worcester who single-handedly created the best of the American English dictionaries (1860).
Yet that’s the crux of the matter: single-handedly. Worcester died in 1865 and left the Merriam brothers a few more years to transform the dictionary-making landscape. By transitioning the process from one person working (basically) alone into a large team of specialists working on the enormous task together, the Merriams changed dictionary-making forever and ensured the legacy of the Webster brand (even if ensuring that legacy meant undoing much of what Noah Webster himself had stood for).
There’s a sadness in reading The Dictionary Wars, because even if you don’t know anything about the story (I knew very little about it), you definitely know that somehow Webster ends up winning and Worcester disappears. It’s sad because that’s not the way you want it to work out. It’s like reading the transcript of a long, bitter, unfair Twitter battle, and the person who ends up on top is the one who fought the dirtiest. History is hard to stomach sometimes.
Martin’s book is a fascinating glimpse into American life in the nineteenth century. Though by the last third of the book I had had more than enough of the back-and-forth attacks between the various players (it all becomes so repetitive and discouraging after a while), I’m glad to know this piece of my country’s (and my language’s) past. It’s yet another reminder that our current era is not so different (neither better nor worse) than previous times in history. Humans are humans, and no matter what technology they employ, they always end up proving that fact. Yet out of it also come some glorious achievements. We’re a strange bunch.
We all know the name “Webster,” but I didn’t know that Noah Webster was such a jerk. I think he’s someone who would have thrived on social media, had he lived in our era. He couldn’t resist getting the last word in often personal attacks through pamphlets and newspapers. His main opponent in the dictionary wars was Joseph Worcester, who by all rights should be a much better-known name than Webster’s. Webster v. Worcester are the “Ford v. Ferrari” of this story. Where Webster was the bombastic, fame-hungry, arrogant personality who created a dictionary (1828) that is full of misguided ideas and outright errors (especially in the bizarre etymologies), Worcester was the careful, thorough, steadily working scholar. Webster (and, after his death, George and Charles Merriam) weren’t content until they’d dragged everyone around them down to their level of obnoxious argument, but at the end of it all, it was Worcester who single-handedly created the best of the American English dictionaries (1860).
Yet that’s the crux of the matter: single-handedly. Worcester died in 1865 and left the Merriam brothers a few more years to transform the dictionary-making landscape. By transitioning the process from one person working (basically) alone into a large team of specialists working on the enormous task together, the Merriams changed dictionary-making forever and ensured the legacy of the Webster brand (even if ensuring that legacy meant undoing much of what Noah Webster himself had stood for).
There’s a sadness in reading The Dictionary Wars, because even if you don’t know anything about the story (I knew very little about it), you definitely know that somehow Webster ends up winning and Worcester disappears. It’s sad because that’s not the way you want it to work out. It’s like reading the transcript of a long, bitter, unfair Twitter battle, and the person who ends up on top is the one who fought the dirtiest. History is hard to stomach sometimes.
Martin’s book is a fascinating glimpse into American life in the nineteenth century. Though by the last third of the book I had had more than enough of the back-and-forth attacks between the various players (it all becomes so repetitive and discouraging after a while), I’m glad to know this piece of my country’s (and my language’s) past. It’s yet another reminder that our current era is not so different (neither better nor worse) than previous times in history. Humans are humans, and no matter what technology they employ, they always end up proving that fact. Yet out of it also come some glorious achievements. We’re a strange bunch.
May 20, 2019
Read my review on my blog: https://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/...
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.
I have always considered a dictionary to be an informative collection of words, a writing companion, and a seemingly endless source of ideas—not necessarily a controversial publication. The Dictionary Wars taught me that I was oh so wrong. The historical conflicts surrounding American dictionaries were intense! As a new republic America’s first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, wanted an American dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 British Dictionary of the English Language, but they each had their own ideas about what that dictionary would entail. Webster believed an American dictionary “ought to be informed by the nation's republican principles.” Worcester, however, “thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far.” After Webster’s death, the Merriam brothers acquired Webster’s publishing rights and launched another language war. With libel suits and fraud claims galore, The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight Over the English Language is a word nerd’s dream.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.
I have always considered a dictionary to be an informative collection of words, a writing companion, and a seemingly endless source of ideas—not necessarily a controversial publication. The Dictionary Wars taught me that I was oh so wrong. The historical conflicts surrounding American dictionaries were intense! As a new republic America’s first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, wanted an American dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 British Dictionary of the English Language, but they each had their own ideas about what that dictionary would entail. Webster believed an American dictionary “ought to be informed by the nation's republican principles.” Worcester, however, “thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far.” After Webster’s death, the Merriam brothers acquired Webster’s publishing rights and launched another language war. With libel suits and fraud claims galore, The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight Over the English Language is a word nerd’s dream.
July 16, 2019
Boy, I really wanted to like this book, but I'd have to rate it as a near-failure. It covers Noah Webster and his colleagues and opponents in the 19th century as various parties sought to establish themselves as the preeminent lexicographer in the land. Most of the book consists of the cast of characters writing nasty letters and pamphlets to and about each other. Seriously, this goes on for pages and pages and pages. I am very rarely bored when reading a book, but I certainly was here. The subtitle led me to believe there would be discussions about various trends or views in lexicography, grammar, orthography, etc., but such was quite sparse. Just crotchety old men seeking to defend their turf. Quite a disappointment.
July 26, 2019
This was longer than it needed to be, but it was fairly interesting. Only for US history or word nerds, probably. The author includes extensive quotes from letters, and news articles and other publications of the time.
January 13, 2020
A thoroughly researched tome of the origins of my dictionary of choice by way of career, this historical account of the grammatical and spelling bigwig battles in 19th century Massachusetts was on the dense textbook end of the casual reading spectrum (the kind of book that cheats you out of 60 end pages of indices and bibliography notation), but which also delivered fond memories of traipsing around Harvard Yard soaking in all things phonic during my graduate years. For a Word Nerd like me, it's fascinating to discover what prompted the divide between AmE vs. Brit spellings, and all the more amused to see parallels of modern-day media squabbles. If only the AP and Chicago Manual could drum up an equally compelling beef today.
June 3, 2020
Today's non-fiction book review is on The Dictionary Wars: the American fight of the English Language by Peter Martin. It is 358 pages long including index and bibliography and is published by Princeton University press. There is no foul language, no sexuality and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of American Dictionary making. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket - A compelling history of the national conflicts that resulted from efforts to produce the first definitive American dictionary of English.
In The Dictionary Wars, Peter Martin recounts the Patriotic fervor in the early American Republic to produce its definitive National dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary of the English language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into the battle among lexicographers, authors, Scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.
The overwhelming questions in The Dictionary Wars involved which and whose English was truly American and whether a dictionary of English should attempt to be American at all, independent from Britain. Martin tells the human story of the intense rivalry between America's first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, who fought over who could best represent the soul and identity of American culture. Webster believed in American Dictionary, like the American language, ought to be informed by the nation's republican principles, but Worcester thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far. Their conflict continued beyond Webster's death, when the ambitious Merriam Brothers acquired the publishing rights to Webster's American dictionary and launched their own language wars. From the beginning of the nineteenth Century to the end of the Civil War, the dictionary wars also engaged America's colleges, libraries, newspapers, religious groups, and state legislatures at the pivotal historical moment that coincided with the rising of literacy and the print Revolution.
Delving into the personal stories and national debates that arose from the conflict surrounding America's first dictionaries, The Dictionary Wars examines the linguistic struggles that underpinned the founding and growth of a Nation.
Review- An interesting historical book about interesting but very dramatic people. The reader starts out following Webster at a young age all the way until the end where the Miriam Brothers have won the Dictionary Wars but at the cost of Webster's vision. Matrin has records, personal letters, and other first-hand documents that he uses to reconstruct the drama that surrounded Webster and his dictionary from when he first began to build it to what we would consider the modern Webster's Dictionary today. Webster had a vision that an American Dictionary would be wholly unique from all other English dictionaries in the world. He justified that by saying America was a wholly new nation set on wholly new ideals but he was not the best Lexicographer and his dictionary suffered for that. Worcester was the much better and solid scholar of the two men but he was a more retiring personality and only wanted to make his dictionaries and spelling books for children.The clash of the two personalities over the building of America's dictionary was intense and at times absurd. the sniping and fighting language in the letters between each other and about each other to other people was quite funny and the reader should delight in reading these two scholars tear each other apart over the meaning of a word. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the history of dictionary making or Noah Webster or Joseph Worcester.
I give this book a four out of five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
From the dust jacket - A compelling history of the national conflicts that resulted from efforts to produce the first definitive American dictionary of English.
In The Dictionary Wars, Peter Martin recounts the Patriotic fervor in the early American Republic to produce its definitive National dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary of the English language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into the battle among lexicographers, authors, Scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.
The overwhelming questions in The Dictionary Wars involved which and whose English was truly American and whether a dictionary of English should attempt to be American at all, independent from Britain. Martin tells the human story of the intense rivalry between America's first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, who fought over who could best represent the soul and identity of American culture. Webster believed in American Dictionary, like the American language, ought to be informed by the nation's republican principles, but Worcester thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far. Their conflict continued beyond Webster's death, when the ambitious Merriam Brothers acquired the publishing rights to Webster's American dictionary and launched their own language wars. From the beginning of the nineteenth Century to the end of the Civil War, the dictionary wars also engaged America's colleges, libraries, newspapers, religious groups, and state legislatures at the pivotal historical moment that coincided with the rising of literacy and the print Revolution.
Delving into the personal stories and national debates that arose from the conflict surrounding America's first dictionaries, The Dictionary Wars examines the linguistic struggles that underpinned the founding and growth of a Nation.
Review- An interesting historical book about interesting but very dramatic people. The reader starts out following Webster at a young age all the way until the end where the Miriam Brothers have won the Dictionary Wars but at the cost of Webster's vision. Matrin has records, personal letters, and other first-hand documents that he uses to reconstruct the drama that surrounded Webster and his dictionary from when he first began to build it to what we would consider the modern Webster's Dictionary today. Webster had a vision that an American Dictionary would be wholly unique from all other English dictionaries in the world. He justified that by saying America was a wholly new nation set on wholly new ideals but he was not the best Lexicographer and his dictionary suffered for that. Worcester was the much better and solid scholar of the two men but he was a more retiring personality and only wanted to make his dictionaries and spelling books for children.The clash of the two personalities over the building of America's dictionary was intense and at times absurd. the sniping and fighting language in the letters between each other and about each other to other people was quite funny and the reader should delight in reading these two scholars tear each other apart over the meaning of a word. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the history of dictionary making or Noah Webster or Joseph Worcester.
I give this book a four out of five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
August 2, 2024
The Dictionary Wars by Peter Martin is an exceptional work that masterfully intertwines history, linguistics, and the personal struggles of key figures in the world of lexicography. Martin's storytelling is nothing short of excellent; his writing is engaging, vivid, and meticulously detailed, making the historical context come alive in a way that is both informative and captivating.
One of the book's standout features is Martin's ability to portray the characters involved in the "dictionary wars" with such depth. From Noah Webster to Joseph Worcester, each figure is brought to life with their own unique motivations, strengths, and flaws. This rich character development had me rooting for some and questioning others, shifting my allegiances as the narrative progressed. The complex interplay between these characters adds a layer of drama that kept myself, and surely other readers, thoroughly engaged.
The book is highly informative, shedding light on the intense and often personal battles that shaped American English as we know it today. Martin delves into the broader social and political implications of these linguistic disputes, providing a greater understanding of the stakes involved. His meticulous research is seen, and he presents the information in a way that is both accessible and intellectually stimulating.
In summary, The Dictionary Wars is a brilliant exploration of a pivotal moment in the history of American lexicography. Peter Martin's excellent storytelling and character portrayal make this book a compelling read, blending historical insight with a narrative feel. This is a must-read for anyone interested in language, history, or the power struggles that shape our cultural landscape.
One of the book's standout features is Martin's ability to portray the characters involved in the "dictionary wars" with such depth. From Noah Webster to Joseph Worcester, each figure is brought to life with their own unique motivations, strengths, and flaws. This rich character development had me rooting for some and questioning others, shifting my allegiances as the narrative progressed. The complex interplay between these characters adds a layer of drama that kept myself, and surely other readers, thoroughly engaged.
The book is highly informative, shedding light on the intense and often personal battles that shaped American English as we know it today. Martin delves into the broader social and political implications of these linguistic disputes, providing a greater understanding of the stakes involved. His meticulous research is seen, and he presents the information in a way that is both accessible and intellectually stimulating.
In summary, The Dictionary Wars is a brilliant exploration of a pivotal moment in the history of American lexicography. Peter Martin's excellent storytelling and character portrayal make this book a compelling read, blending historical insight with a narrative feel. This is a must-read for anyone interested in language, history, or the power struggles that shape our cultural landscape.
April 27, 2023
4.5 stars. An absolutely awesome book and I might consider upgrading to 5 stars if I re-read (which the fact that I'm considering re-reading when I rarely re-read nonfiction is saying a lot about how much I enjoyed this).
A fascinating story about how dictionaries came to be in America, particularly the origin of the Merriam-Webster dictionaries. The history covers from the beginning of America as a separate nation all the way to post-Civil War, and it was pretty cool to see such a minute history cover such a long range. The book is made in several parts as we follow information surrounding Samuel Johnson's big-name dictionary, to Webster and Worcester's competition, and then that competition being prolonged by the Merriam brothers after Webster's death.
I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Sean Pratt. Aside from the fascinating story, this narration was a large majority of why the book ranked so highly with me. He reads very well and with great animation--while not detracting from the information or clarity. Given that the author included a large number of primary sources (e.g., letters and news articles), the audiobook was a huge bonus, to hear the words actually said rather than just reading them silently; it really brought it to life and made me realize just how much communication in that era really was so similar to how it is today. Some of the communication included in these dictionary wars really sounded like it was straight out of modern social media, and some of the remarks were downright funny.
While the story may only appeal to language and history nerds, it is so worthwhile, and I highly recommend reading it as an audiobook.
A fascinating story about how dictionaries came to be in America, particularly the origin of the Merriam-Webster dictionaries. The history covers from the beginning of America as a separate nation all the way to post-Civil War, and it was pretty cool to see such a minute history cover such a long range. The book is made in several parts as we follow information surrounding Samuel Johnson's big-name dictionary, to Webster and Worcester's competition, and then that competition being prolonged by the Merriam brothers after Webster's death.
I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Sean Pratt. Aside from the fascinating story, this narration was a large majority of why the book ranked so highly with me. He reads very well and with great animation--while not detracting from the information or clarity. Given that the author included a large number of primary sources (e.g., letters and news articles), the audiobook was a huge bonus, to hear the words actually said rather than just reading them silently; it really brought it to life and made me realize just how much communication in that era really was so similar to how it is today. Some of the communication included in these dictionary wars really sounded like it was straight out of modern social media, and some of the remarks were downright funny.
While the story may only appeal to language and history nerds, it is so worthwhile, and I highly recommend reading it as an audiobook.
July 22, 2019
Who would have imagined that the compilation and publication of a dictionary could be such a controversial blood sport? This book relates, in admirable detail, the struggles between Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester (and their respective publishers, relatives, and disciples) to provide the American republic with a top-notch dictionary along the lines of Samuel Johnson's, fit for a new nation. Webster had definite ideological ends he wanted such a dictionary to reflect, and he set about making one; the portrait of the man that emerges from these pages is one who was irascible, contentious, jealous of his position, and one who alienated friends and family members in his single-minded pursuit. By contrast, Worcester comes across as a scholarly, retiring, non-self-promoting figure, more objective and scientific in his views. The result: the author suggests that, while Worcester's product was clearly superior to that of Webster in a number of ways, Webster triumphed because his work was taken up by the Merriam brothers (George and Charles), who were ruthless promoters with deep pockets and great skill at exploiting the media of the day. -- A fascinating view of a slice of American history not often examined or, indeed, even thought of.
February 24, 2020
Hard yards getting through this work, although its value is considerable. There is detail, which sometimes seems tedious, but I ask why? I think, because the characters, the personages from Noah Webster on through to the Merriams, are less than appealing. Webster emerges as important, but not heroic. It is possible that the actors were just not that personable, in which case I may be asking too much in my wish for a more readable book. Webster himself presents his work as striking a blow for American liberty, but it is not clear whether this was honest inspiration or simple marketing--not that the two are mutually exclusive. Martin concludes that the "major winners" of the "dictionary wars" were the American people, who obtained "a clearer sense of themselves" (290). This larger significance is not well argued. Not to go history-wonky here, but the connection between print culture and national identity is by now a commonplace. Are the American dictionary wars parcel to this, or exceptional?
March 13, 2024
I love the descriptions of the rivalries in this book, first the British - “… let us leave the inventors of this motley gibberish to make a Dictionary for themselves.” - versus the Americans writ large; and then competition between Webster and Worcester. I enjoyed reading about Webster’s efforts to change the language, and reform it - in his Bible, for instance, “stink” became “odious” because it seemed less offensive. His commitment to the idea that “language is an expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language” certainly seems high-minded, but the human flaws of all the characters involved in this story is well-documented by the author. Ultimately, this may be a bit of a niche book for certain people, but I guess I’m a part of that niche. I enjoyed it very much, and I give 4 instead of 5 stars only because sometimes the text is dense with fact and not so much beautiful prose.
January 15, 2022
This history of the dictionary marketing and publishing battle between the Webster/Merriam camp and Joseph Worcester is extremely well-researched. I thought it was thought-provoking and valuable, but also narrowly written and longer than it needed to be. The story is confined to the halls of 1800s academia and publishing, and much of it is dedicated to a detailed chronology of publication dates and of the pamphlet wars between the two sides. I was left wondering how bitter 1850s politics that led up to the Civil War might have affected the publishers' decisions and motivations; to what extent the authors reached into nonscholarly (or nontheological) sources in determining "correct" American English; and how (or if) the authors' prescriptions filtered into the many distinct linguistic communities in the 1800s United States.
December 24, 2024
An interesting history of the rivalry between Noah Webster and Joseph Worcester who produced the first American dictionaries of English in the first half of the 19th century. Their first versions were researched and written by them alone. Subsequent editions eventually included others.
The book describes the efforts of the 2 men (and their successors) to produce the dictionaries, the work involved and the "wars" in the press and elsewhere as to which one was the "best."
Worth reading but slow at times, especially due to the language in quotations from newspaper articles and letters from the time.
The book describes the efforts of the 2 men (and their successors) to produce the dictionaries, the work involved and the "wars" in the press and elsewhere as to which one was the "best."
Worth reading but slow at times, especially due to the language in quotations from newspaper articles and letters from the time.
July 7, 2019
I thought this description of the politics and personalities behind the dictionary (and a facet of nation building really) was interesting and written interestingly. Honestly though I enjoyed the tale of the eccentric author of the OED (The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary) much more. I loved the description of how that author compiled the words and their definitions whereas the power plays, arguments and cranky old-man ego recounts kind of overshadowed the tale of the man and his vision so-to-speak.
March 5, 2022
3.5. Very interesting book about the battle for dominance in the American dictionary market. This battle was fought in newspapers and was quite heated. Everyone has heard of Noah Webster's dictionary and that is because the Merriam brothers, who published later additions of his dictionary were ruthless businessmen who mercilessly attacked Joseph Emerson Worcester, who probably had the superior dictionary. If you are into words and how certain books become popular, this would be a good book to read. Actually, you might prefer listening to it, instead.
April 28, 2024
Martin is always impressive: really well written with thorough scholarship. It's a niche book, and even for a niche book this feels pretty narrow. Nice that it brings back the work of Joseph Worcester and establishes how central the Merriam brothers are to establishing "Webster's" as a brand: Noah Webster was a great lexicographer, for sure, but also a raging weirdo with some huge blind spots in lexicography (even for the time), and the opinions on spelling are just outrageous sometimes. Overall, worth reading for me, but would probably benefit from cutting at least 75 pages.
May 4, 2024
A bit overly long, but an interesting and unexpected tale from American history. Who knew that publishing dictionaries was such a rancorous affair? Webster apparently wasn't the greatest at his craft, had strange spelling conventions, and much of what bears his name isn't actually his. He's more remembered because of the smear campaign the Merriam brothers ran against his competitor (and overall superior) Joseph Worcester. Webster also had a massive ego that couldn't bear being second best. Not the most important topic, but fun trivia-like information to have.
August 20, 2019
Torture ... regular "wars" are more fun ... the book includes every minute detail of a 200-year-old argument between quasi-scholars; they go round and round about who is the better speller and then, in a mean spirited way, create dozens and dozens of versions of the same dictionary ... even the biggest word nerd would really, really need to force himself to get through this ... if you attempt to read this, you'll hate yourself
August 12, 2021
This book has a bit of a rocky start but once you get into it, it gets pretty good. Chapters with little sections made the work seem choppy or overly academic and dry. Overall, a good attempt at corralling an absolutely wild tale. Somehow the work manages to convey the story without being sensational (which makes it rather bizarre actually because it is so matter a fact about this wild wild bit of history that its presentation seems disjointed at times).
Read
June 19, 2022This is a deep dive into the ‘wars’ on the dictionary that people ended up choosing for their homes. I kind of could have been happy with a synopsis… but it was neat to learn about how the current dictionary came about. The standardization of spelling was apparently pretty fraught. 🤷🏻♀️ (I don’t see myself recommending this book to people, yet I don’t know people who are into weird stuff like this)
March 24, 2025
Good
So much I did not know about Webster’s! Or, should I say Websters’? Fascinating look at the various versions and how they came about. Not a# engaging as The Professor the Madman, but plenty interesting all the same. The book reads a bit dry for the first 1/4, and I was almost tuning out (narration ok, but somewhat monotone), but realized it was getting interesting… so I rewound, caught up, and tuned in.
So much I did not know about Webster’s! Or, should I say Websters’? Fascinating look at the various versions and how they came about. Not a# engaging as The Professor the Madman, but plenty interesting all the same. The book reads a bit dry for the first 1/4, and I was almost tuning out (narration ok, but somewhat monotone), but realized it was getting interesting… so I rewound, caught up, and tuned in.
November 17, 2019
A picture of an interesting period of US history, the early 19th century, when Webster and Worcester were coming out with the first American dictionaries. There was a lot of vitriol and nastiness in the fight, and it doesn't present the Webster team well. The problem with the book is that there really isn't enough material for a book so it does get a bit tedious to read this length.
December 30, 2023
A book at its best when examining how dictionaries improved and the men who improved them.
While always readable, the book spends too much time in the gutters of the dictionary wars and quoting arguments from both sides: overall DICTIONARY WARS could be a third shorter without loss of any trenchant point.
While always readable, the book spends too much time in the gutters of the dictionary wars and quoting arguments from both sides: overall DICTIONARY WARS could be a third shorter without loss of any trenchant point.
August 8, 2021
If I worked as a lexicographer, I'd have called this a 4 or 5 star work. It's a fascinating story that is well-researched, but as a layman I pretty much felt the story petered out before the book did. A small quibble, however - as the Goodreads star-rating system goes, I liked it.
August 28, 2019
Really interesting history of the growth of the English language in America and how it became solidly different and codified differently from the language in Great Britain.
December 29, 2019
I reviewed this for Choice so I won’t repeat that, but suffice it to say it’s a compelling addition to the story of American lexicography with Noah Webster at the center.
January 8, 2020
The subject sounded interesting and it was clearly researched well, but it was boring. :-/
February 9, 2020
A good story with thorough research, awfully written
April 28, 2020
Well-researched and full of facts. Also extremely dry and boring - unless you consider etymology, spelling, and pronunciation to be equal to heart-pounding action.
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