Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

The Untold History of English

By: John McWhorter

Narrated by: John McWhorter

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.

Covering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century A.D., John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor.

Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research, as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue ultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English - and its ironic simplicity due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for. (And no, it's not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition.)

©2008 John McWhorter (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"McWhorter's iconoclastic impulses and refreshing enthusiasm makes this worth a look for anyone with a love for the language." (Publishers Weekly)

"McWhorter’s energetic, brash delivery of his own spirited and iconoclastic text will appeal to everyone who appreciates the range and caliber of today’s audio production. In some ways, audio is superior to printed text in portraying tone, attitude, values, and in this case, a discussion whose theme is the sound and grammar of words." (AudioFile magazine)

well worth a listen

This book is a volley in an academic argument to which most of us listeners are not a party. However it's no less interesting for that. the author convincingly describes a number of common misconceptions about the English language and gives the antidote. It's a fascinating journey through the mechanic that is the grammar of our language. And it's an excellent counterexample to all those audiobooks where the listener cringes to hear a book read by the author. Indeed it's hard to imagine who else could have possibly read this book . And in addition to getting the myriad foreign pronunciations correct the author allows himself the freedom to chuckle and add in a few quips throughout the book In a way which I found charming.

Great Story

Yes, it is non-fiction, but it reads like a story, too. The reader is wonderful, laughing and pausing to make it a great listen.

struggled to finish

Content is ok but dry spells at times. much more for folks with linguist leanings rather than the casual curious mind, although there were still several take away points worth learning. narrator is the author, and while he has enthusiasm & delivers the nuances as intended. he sounds a bit long winded at moments.

A Well-written History of the English Language

An interesting, thought provoking history of the orgins of the English language. The Author explores the many differences of English versus other European language structure. I learned it is very different and the Author puts forward his reasons why. Very interesting. Enjoy.

Informative and entertaining

McWhorter is enjoyable to listen to, despite the American accent! I recommend the book to anyone curious about language.

everyone else is wrong about english

I've never read everyone else but the author tells us that all traditional thought is wrong and he is correct and it leaves me skeptical.

Fascinating beginner's glimpse

A look at linguistic "archeology" and what it can unearth about the origins of our civilizations. If nothing else, I came away impressed at how little we know of the deep roots of human cultures and societies. A fascinating journey.

Very fun, short book

I got this from one of audible's sale days. It's quirky and fun. It's not earth shattering or terribly important, but it is a romp through the history of our English language, and this makes for an enjoyable read.

His hypothesis is interesting for the first 10 min

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not unless they are inveterate anglophiles who care about such arcane matters as why English has an unnecessary "do" or why we use the "-ing" to indicate present action. This is NOT a book for the fainthearted who want to hear all sorts of interesting facts about English words. The author has a thesis that he is trying to prove about the origin of those two peculiarities and he presents cogent arguments in support of his position, but it seems inconsequential.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The author's kaleidoscopic knowledge of many languages was interesting. The least interesting was how he kept piling on argument after argument to support his thesis.

What does John McWhorter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He seems to be able to pronounce a wide variety of words in many languages.

Did Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue inspire you to do anything?

Unfortunately no. I was hoping that it would.

vaguely interesting...but not for me

Any additional comments?

I found this book boring. It just never gave me any points to keep me interested. He discusses in great detail about how grammar is different in English than other languages. That in and of itself would be interesting, but the underlying points of the book (which seemed to be addressing what to me seemed to be "in the weeds" disputes in the field of linguistics) really left me saying "so what?" Maybe I'm being to critical, but I have a rule that I listen to every book I purchase through to the end, and this one was hard to make it through. Maybe someone versed in linguistics would find it interesting, but I would think few lay readers would.