The Professor and the Madman

By: Simon Winchester

Narrated by: Simon Winchester

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Hidden within the rituals of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary is a fascinating mystery. Professor James Murray was the distinguished editor of the OED project. Dr. William Chester Minor, an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War, was one of the most prolific contributors to the dictionary, sending thousands of neat, hand-written quotations from his home. After numerous refusals from Minor to visit his home in Oxford, Murray set out to find him. It was then that Murray would finally learn the truth about Minor - that, in addition to being a masterly wordsmith, he was also an insane murderer locked up in Broadmoor, England's harshest asylum for criminal lunatics. The Professor and the Madman is the unforgettable story of the madness and genius that contributed to one of the greatest literary achievements in the history of English letters.

©1998 Simon Winchester (P)1999 HarperCollins Publishers Inc., All Rights Reserved, Harper Audio, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The linguistic detective story of the decade." (New York Times Magazine)

Very interesting story that is well told.

Narration was perfect, and I will likely listen to it again. The story was interesting enough to keep me in my car longer than necessary. Such a sad tale of a man who struggles with mental health, but at the same time was able to contribute in a big way to the history of the English language.

Solid Piece of Work

I love this author and although it's an interesting book it's not my favorite of his. But it does give you an interesting insight into the high literary society of the time.

Wonderful telling of the events.

I found myself wanting to know more about where the story would go with each bit I heard.

Brilliant book

this might be the greatest book I've ever listened to. The writer did such a good job of giving us a panoramic view of a most flawed man's life. He asks the poignant question, what was the cause, without being so arrogant to tell us.

This book has so many facets that were important to the entire story. Each one was interesting, but itself, but together it weaved sense into insanity.

i highly recommend this.

So much better than the movie. The movie took too much literary license.

The movie, if the only way you enjoyed the story, was so different than the book.

Utterly Fascinating!

What a gifted storyteller! Truth is MUCH BETTER than fiction, especially when recounted by Simon Winchester. I loved the book. Winchester's ability to present details in an absorbing and intelligent style captivated me from the beginning. His knowledge of the material and the of the era was immediately apparent.

I never wondered about how dictionaries are created and I felt like I was right there while it was happening. Winchester's eye for detail about the smallest things put me there in the time period. It is really an unbelievable story, and I thoroughly enjoyed every unabridged moement. I'll read it again, I'm sure.

Winchester's narration is flawless. There is such a difference listening to a person present his own work, rather than someone who is just "reading" a book. With Winchester, all the nuances, the inflections, the pauses, the style in which he wrote the narrative is faithfully reproduced in his charming voice. What can I say? I'm a FAN!

Good history, good story, a solid 4

If you like history this will be a good book for you. It covers an American Civil War officer undergoing a British experience in somewhat different circumstances.. It is worth the read.

Amazingly Intriguing

This is the most fascinating book I?ve read (heard) in a long time. The story telling is compulsive. I will never look at a dictionary the same way again. This story should be adapted for the stage. Just Amazingly Intriguing.

Interesting listening

I don't know that I would have purchased this book for reading,
but I found it good listening while working around the house.
The story of Charles Minor is worth knowing and an interesting
mix of cultures. As for the writing, I found it to be a very
British take on history, conservative on praise of American
society and culture, but generous and sensitive to the issues
of mental illness. All in all a good thorough treatment of the
subject.

A revelation

Would you consider the audio edition of The Professor and the Madman to be better than the print version?

I loved to hear this story. I did not have the possibility to read it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Professor and the Madman?

What would happen of this man and contribution if he was treated with medication we know today?

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

I don't know, I did not read the book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Same title. I think this could be a very good film insisting on his 'paranoia'.

Any additional comments?

It it is good story and a 'revelation' that the most famous dictionary has many contribution from this very discipline 'madman'..