The Adventure of English Audiobook By Melvyn Bragg cover art

The Adventure of English

The Biography of a Language

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The Adventure of English

By: Melvyn Bragg
Narrated by: Robert Powell
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This is the remarkable story of the English language; from its beginnings as a minor guttural Germanic dialect to its position today as a truly established global language.

The Adventure of English is not only an enthralling story of power, religion, and trade, but also the story of people, and how their lives continue to change the extraordinary language that is English.

©2003 Melvyn Bragg (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Communication & Social Skills Personal Development Words, Language & Grammar Middle Ages Africa Inspiring Feel-Good United Kingdom Latin America Imperialism English Language European Science

Critic reviews

"Both entertaining and informative." (Booklist)
"This 'biography' succeeds in its broad, sweeping narrative." (Publishers Weekly)
Fascinating Etymology • Comprehensive History • Masterful Pronunciation • Rich Cultural Context • Engaging Storytelling

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I learned much from this book and, as other reviewers have pointed out, it is very well written and read. However, I must confess that it was a chore for me to get through. The lists of words often went on and on and would definitely work better in written form than in audio. While driving I often had to switch to the radio to keep from falling asleep.


If you have a serious interest in language and etymology, this is a must read. For the rest of us, it's a bit like homework that you know you should do, but don't always look forward to with glee.

Not for those with a casual interest

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I am not a linguist and the lists of words did not interest me, but hearing the history through the angle of the language was very interesting. The infusion of foreign words in the language shows how great an influence the force or movement was on the minds of the english people. A good introduction and an enjoyable listen.

Great material

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This was a great listen. Being British and having a mother with a very "proper" accent and a father with a lovely Scottish accent made this book an even better adventure. It gave me a clear understanding of many of the odd terms and quotes and sayings which are such a part of our family. If you are from anywhere in Britain you will marvel at the reader's command of dialects both ancients and modern. I really enjoy it when I can learn a lot from a book and be entertained at the same time.

three cheers for English

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I have listened to this over and over again. It's the way all history should be taught. Well, at least one refreshing way. I guess some people had problems with English sort of going on an adventure. But, though it was treated somewhat like an individual, it wasn't. It wasn't so personified that it was simplified. I thought it was an engaging way to show all of the origins, cultural changes, struggles and triumphs, and history English came through to what we now know as modern English. Simple things going one way or the other, or not happening could have made all the difference in the survival and/or direction English took to get to what we have today. A really fun romp through history with English.

Can listen over and over again

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Melvyn Bragg is one of the actual persons that all the comedians mocking the ponderously educated English gentleman are modeling. Depending on your tastes, this book is either full of the lush and deep details and patriotic pride that feels like featherbed, or it is suffocating and tedious. The content is fascinating, but you best be patient. Give a listen to Mr. Bragg's podcast, In Our Time, and you'll get a sense of his style. He writes just as he talks. If you like his podcast, you will really like this book.

a bit mysoginistic but still fascinating

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