Amazon.com
When the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary put out a call during the late 19th century pleading for "men of letters" to provide help with their mammoth undertaking, hundreds of responses came forth. Some helpers, like Dr. W.C. Minor, provided literally thousands of entries to the editors. But Minor, an American expatriate in England and a Civil War veteran, was actually a certified lunatic who turned in his dictionary entries from the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Simon Winchester has produced a mesmerizing coda to the deeply troubled Minor's life, a life that in one sense began with the senseless murder of an innocent British brewery worker that the deluded Minor believed was an assassin sent by one of his numerous "enemies."
Winchester also paints a rich portrait of the OED's leading light, Professor James Murray, who spent more than 40 years of his life on a project he would not see completed in his lifetime. Winchester traces the origins of the drive to create a "Big Dictionary" down through Murray and far back into the past; the result is a fascinating compact history of the English language (albeit admittedly more interesting to linguistics enthusiasts than historians or true crime buffs). That Murray and Minor, whose lives took such wildly disparate turns yet were united in their fierce love of language, were able to view one another as peers and foster a warm friendship is just one of the delicately turned subplots of this compelling book. --Tjames Madison
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
The compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary, 70 years in the making, was an intellectually heroic feat with a twist worthy of the greatest mystery fiction: one of its most valuable contributors was a criminally insane American physician, locked up in an English asylum for murder. British stage actor Simon Jones leads us through this uncommon meeting of minds (the other belonging to self-educated dictionary editor James Murray) at full gallop. Ultimately, it's hard to say which is more remarkable: the facts of this amazingly well-researched story, or the sound of author Simon Winchester's erudite prose. Jones's reading smoothly transports listeners to the 19th century, reminding us why so many brilliant people obsessively set out to catalogue the English language. This unabridged version contains an interview between Winchester and John Simpson, editor of the Oxford dictionary. (Running time: 6.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --Lou Schuler
Book Description
The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary -- and literary history. The compilation of the OED began in 1857, it was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Download Description
"
The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary -- and literary history. The compilation of the OED began in 1857, it was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
"
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, but cannot match its own hype.......2007-09-10
I think that I could've really enjoyed this book on its own merits had the author not continued to insist throughout that the story was horrifying, amazing, shocking, thrilling, electrifying, and tragic by turns. Rarely can these "sensationalist histories" live up to their own hype. I found the book a fascinating look into the development of the OED with the bonus of the intriguing back story of one its most unusual volunteer contributors. Isn't that good enough? Why must everything be oversold? Note to the publisher: Next time undersell, over-deliver.
Surprisingly absorbing.......2007-08-28
Locked inside the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary is an astonishing, bizarre story poignantly told in The Professor and the Madman. Well written, this disturbing story flows easily, holding the reader's interest to the end, even through the definitions!
After reading this book I have also gained a new appreciation for the beloved dictionary.
Sensationalized Version of a Gripping History.......2007-08-13
The Professor and the Madman is the yellow journalism version of the history of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Sir James Murray, Dr. William Chester Minor, the treatment of the criminally insane during the Victorian period. I was particularly offended by the overly graphic details of Dr. Minor's self-mutilation (if you don't have a strong stomach, skip that section) and playing up of the fictionalized (and often repeated as fact) version of how Sir James and Dr. Minor first met. If the story weren't so interesting, I would encourage you to avoid the book.
Writing the first edition of the OED took 70 years and employed an unusual organizational method that has since become popular for monumental knowledge tasks -- relying on volunteers to do the bulk of the work of finding quotations that use each word in different ways over time. As someone who has always admired the OED, I enjoyed learning more about the process involved in its development. Unfortunately, that material is scattered throughout the book rather than concentrated where you can find it for a brief read through. The examples are good, however, if the material is needlessly diluted.
Thinking about that monumental effort will give you just the right foundation for appreciating how mental illness can affect parts of one's faculties while leaving others undisturbed, as the paranoid Dr. Minor employed his extensive free time in the Broadmoor Asylum for Criminally Insane and personal wealth to become of the most organized and helpful contributors to the OED.
Dr. Minor's story is the actual focus of the book. Unless you are quite interested in ironies, mental illness, and how the Victorians treated the criminally insane, you will probably find this book has more of Dr. Minor than you really care to know. It's a tragic story, but not one that I would have sought to read if the OED development process material hadn't been in the book. As background for that comment, you should know that I have a strong interest in criminal insanity and wrote my law school thesis on the subject. The book tells its story to make you feel the pain of being Dr. Minor quite well, but The Madman and the Professor won't advance your knowledge of mental illness or legal concepts of responsibility very much.
I was attracted to this book in part due to my work in leading the 400 Year Project, seeking ways to make improvements in everyone's lives at 20 times the normal rate between 2015 and 2035. I came away impressed that just a few people can make a remarkable contribution to an all-but-impossible project. I will redouble my efforts to locate such people for the 400 Year Project.
Tackle the impossible to find out what you can really do!
Slow.......2007-07-11
I did like this book and would have given it 3.5 stars is I could. The history was interesting and easy to get through, even for a casual reader of histories such as myself. However, for some reason I felt like I was dragging myself through parts. I am unable to put my finger on it, but some parts were just really slow for me. I would recomend that you read this book if for no reason than it is full of interesting facts that may come in handy at a cocktail party. In all seriousness, I did like it but read it on vacation so you can cruise through the slow parts.
THIS BOOK IS A MUST-READ.......2007-03-18
IF YOU ARE SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN MENTAL ILLNESS AND NON-FICTION, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. FROM THE OPENING LINES TO THE END OF THE BOOK, THIS TRUE STORY WILL HAVE YOU TURNING PAGES. THE TITLE IS SOMEWHAT MISLEADING BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY THINK "SO WHAT" ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE OXFORD DICTIONARY. BUT DO NOT LET THE TITLE FOOL YOU. THIS IS A FASCINATING STORY FROM THE 1800'S ABOUT PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA, BRILLIANT MINDS AND WRITING OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DICTIONARY OF ALL TIMES. THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES
Average customer rating:
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Repairing the March of Mars: The Civil War Diaries of John Samuel Apperson, Hospital Steward in the Stonewall Brigade, 1861-1865
Manufacturer: Mercer University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0865547793 |
Customer Reviews:
Pedantic Editor.......2006-10-11
Apperson served four years as an enlisted hospital surgeon in the Stonewall Brigade. He was a literate (and self-important) observer of the entire Civil War from behind the lines. Unfortunately, there are gaps: May-July 1861, May-October 1862, July 5, 1863 to January 1864. Many of the last year's entries are cursory. Roper has heavily footnoted the diaries, which adds to their usefulness, but he employs a rather pedantic and often redundant editorial style. The term poltice need not be defined each time it often appears in the manuscript, for example. This is a good source for information on the Battle of Chancellorsville and the Gettysburg Campaign, but much less so for other military actions. He misses the second half of Stonewall's Valley Campaign, all of the Peninsula, Second Manassas and Antietam, everything after the retreat from Gettysburg, and blows through the last year of the war. Apperson's diaries show an ardent secessionist and Southron who becomes increasingly frustrated with the course of the Civil War and who wants desperately out of the service in order to study to become a physician (which he does after the war.)However, the footnotes sometimes cover three quarters of a page. Roper is good on literary and religious terms, and information on southern soldiers. He is less sure about general military information and is very weak on Federal soldiers and units.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on August 1, 2003. The length of the article is 640 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Repairing the "March of Mars": The Civil War Diaries of John Samuel Apperson, Hospital Steward in the Stonewall Brigade, 1861-1865.(Book Review)
Author: Margaret Humphreys
Publication:
Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2003
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 69
Issue: 3
Page: 716(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
1798. This old book presents the proofs of a conspiracy against all the religions and governments of Europe carried on in the secret meetings of Freemasons, Illuminati and Reading Societies, collected from good authorities by John Robison, Professor of natural philosophy and Secretary to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, to which is added a postscript. Contents: John Robinson letter and Lucretius poem; schisms in Freemasonry; the Illuminati; the German Union; the French Revolution; postscript.
Customer Reviews:
world reports from long ago.......2007-04-26
John Robison exposition of the aims of the monolithic enemy
(reference "We are opposed around the world by a monolithic ruthless conspiracy." - President John F. Kennedy)
This is a book President's of the U.S.A. read.
If you believe in Liberty - then this is a book that will inform you and in fact seperate you from those in history who were even aware of the 'unseen hand' in politics.
The enemy of the world is so confident that no one will read this that it reinforces The Good Book's maxim. "I have made a footstool for your enemies"
meaning: God himself has placed the enemy at rest, in a predictable location for the faithful.
You are not alone. Interested parties include the Free World.
Proofs of 18th Century Christian Decadence.......2007-03-31
I found this book to be a very punishing read. The author was a "Professor of Natural Philosophy and Secretary to the Royal Society of Edinburgh", which I presume means that he taught religion. It's quite rare that I've read such a deranged rant against individuals self-bettering themselves. Robinson's paranoia was focused on the spread of the Illuminati from Bavaria into all the countries of the world, resulting in the replacing of Christianity ("the religion of Reason") with atheism.
At times I can almost picture foam emerging from the sides of his mouth as he pens rages about the Illuminati, e.g. "... this breed of scribbling vermin, which have made the body-politic smart in every limb." Here's what he says about Thomas Paine, whose Age of Reason had recently been published: "Till Paine's Age of Reason appeared, the most sceptical writings of England kept within the bounds of decency and argument", and he accuses literary critics of failure to "expose the futility and rudeness of this indelicate writer."
According to Robison, the poor (the rude and unpolished simple peasant) must stay poor and work constantly so that the rich can enjoy their refinements. Assisting the poor is an action that invites Robinson's contempt; "Rousseau wrote a whimsical pamphlet in which he had the vanity to think that he had proved that all these fruits of cultivation were losses to humanity and to virtue- Yet Rousseau could not be contented with the society of the rude and unpolished, although he pretended that he was almost the sole worshipper of pure virtue.- He supported himself, not by assisting the simple peasant, but by writing music for the pampered rich."
The book escapes 1 star by providing in the early pages a bit of interesting history about how freemasonry was spread from Britain into France and Germany following the British revolution by supporters of the exiled Stuart family. However, Robinson's repugnant attitude makes every page a challenge. He finishes off by paying tribute to the "excellent sovereign" George III, and declares proudly that King George "GLORIED IN HAVING BEEN BORN A BRITON".
The secret history of the French Revolution.......2004-01-21
It has been several years since I read an earlier paperback edition of this classic and my copy is in storage, so this from memory. Robison, a Scottish professor, wrote to warn Britain and other kingdoms that the forces which toppled the French monarchy and started The Terror were still active. He traced the story of the 1776 founding of the Illuminati by Adam Weishaupt a professor at Ingolstadt and the suppression of the order by the royal and church authorities of Bavaria in 1785. The Illuminists went underground all over Europe and used existing Masonic lodges or set up their own as a cover for their activities. In Paris, the Duc d'Orleans headed the Illuminist front called the Grand Orient Lodge, his base to conspire against the ruling House of Bourbon. The English and Scottish lodges were generally apolitical amd many worked actively to keep out Illuminists as insincere applicants, but Robison maintained that some continental lodges remained hotbeds of revolutionary plotting, and therefore dangerous, at the time he wrote.
Average customer rating:
- Proof of Illuminati
- Keeping an open mind
- Far-reaching, but interesting
- In error
- Fascinating, but of historical value only
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Proof of the Illuminati
Seth Payson
Manufacturer: Invisible College Press, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1931468141 |
Book Description
Strike, but hide the hand...
The end sanctifies the means...
Endeavor to gain or ruin ever rising character...
The society of the Illuminati was founded in Bavaria in the 1770s, operating covertly within the unknowing veil of honest Masonry. The Illuminati's goals were the overthrow of all government and religion, by any means at their disposal. Their methods included theft, embezzlement, murder, and assassination. Deceit, secrecy, and subterfuge were their common tools.
Linked with the Jacobians in Paris, and appearing in numerous countries under the cover of other secret societies, the Illuminati formented the terrors of the French revolution and other overthrow of the Swiss Republic, causing destruction and death across Europe.
The sect was uncovered and outlawed in 1790, which only drove it to greater secrecy. The poison of the Illuminati was announced and decried by the French Jesuit Abbe Barruel and the eminent English scientist Doctor Robison. These two men, so different in character, politics, and religion, had reached the same conclusion about the evils and effects of Illuminism. For their efforts, both were defamed and ridiclued, their characters questioned.
Seth Payson's Proof of the Illuminati draws from Barruel, Robison, and an array of other sources to show that rather than being stamped out, the Illuminati's pernicious influence was actively spreading its noxious decay. Originally written in 1802, this book still has a stark warning message that rings of truth to this day.
Customer Reviews:
Proof of Illuminati.......2006-08-09
I received the book very quick, and it was in excellant condition. I am very happy
Keeping an open mind.......2005-06-13
The proof is out there and not hard to see. People who continue to ignore these facts are naive and very blind. Majority of people are programmed to disreguard any material like this, claiming that the author is not credible. Well guess what, they arent all crazy!!!The people who deny the illuminati's extience are crazy.
It is good that through all the pressure and opposition to realease facts about the biggest lie in human existance that companies contiue to take risks and realease books like this.
I do not belive the realease of this book will change the minds of many, but it should be known that there has to be some creedance to the fact that the illuminati have popped up many times throughout human history, the risks of not knowing are too great.
PLEASE GET INFORMED I BEG OF YOU ALL, READ THE BOOK!!!
Far-reaching, but interesting.......2004-04-14
This book starts by starting some known facts about the Illuminati. This was an actual group in Bavaria that infiltrated some of the Masonic lodges and actively subverted them to their own ends. They definitely did not have the good of society in their interests, unless one considers personal aggrandizement of a few individuals a good thing.
The book then attempts to connect the Illuminati to all manner of other organizations; this is sometimes plausible, but often a bit sketchy. Some of this works -- there is a criticism of Diderot's famous Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia produced a maelstrom of such accusations when it came out, and, despite its vaunted technical prowess, it had copied heavily from existing works. It's (the Encylopedia) flaws are many, and subversive cross-referencing is believable.
The book details all manner of horrible events, especially some connected with the Terrors of the French Revolution. That this is the work of the Illuminati as a society is obviously false; but, the book maintains that the premises of the Illuminati are at work here, even though they are going on under a different name. It is plausible, if a far-fetched. If one reads it as the *ideas* of the Illuminati are now at work in the world, then it is plausible, but claiming that there is a vast conspiracy doesn't hold up so well.
Lastly, the book has a political rant that could practically be inserted into a modern newspaper with but a few names and places changed. The author, Payson, is for the Alien and Sedition Acts (shades of the Patriot Act). He is against partisan politics, and feels that special interest groups, such as the illuminati, have far to great a power in the U.S. government.
In error.......2003-07-18
It's sad that there are so many books filled with mis-information. This is certainly one of them.
Fascinating, but of historical value only.......2003-06-19
Payson's is an interesting book, but its major value lies in its existence as a re-issue of a historical American piece of polemical writing then any independent literary or factual merit.
Composed toward the conclusion of the 'illuminati scare' in New England (1798-1802) under the title 'Proofs of the Real Existence and Dangerous Tendency of Illuminism, etc.' (Charleston 1802), Payson's text demonstrates all the hallmarks of being a severely biased and polemical work. Internal evidence betrays its origins in a distinct anti-masonic intellectual milieu, and Payson takes significant care to refute a number of contemporaneous pamphleteers who supported masonry in the face of the Illuminist Hysteria, such as the aptly named Thaddeus Mason Harris.
In terms of its treatment of Weishaupt's Illuminati, Payson naturally borrows heavily from the influential books of Barruel and Robison, the arrival of which in New England sparked the hysteria in the first place. The summation presented is adequate and concise, and Payson adds a few flourishes of his own, which, in a work which is more fiction than fact anyway, fit right in.
A major stumbling point for the author comes in his attempt to provide the 'proofs' mentioned in the title. It is established fact to Payson that the Illuminati were in New England. To this end a citation of the sermons of Morse, Harris and Timothy Dwight's masterpiece of alarmist oratory, are invoked. But is this really the case? While Stauffer's careful and fascinating deconstruction of the panic puts paid to the objective reality of such an assertion, Payson himself draws on other polemical pamphlets of the furore as if they were objective gold. The result is quite comical, and the fact that so many people could be convinced by such slight 'proofs' provides a fascinating insight into the paranoid culture of early New England society. Incidentally, Richard Hofstadter has dealt in depth with this aspect of the incident in his 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics.'
This is a significantly interesting work to read in light of Vernon Stauffer's _New England and the Bavarian Illuminati_ (1918), but is of a low merit otherwise. I do, however, applaud ICP's decision to reprint it, even if it is marketed in a significantly more sinister vein than the content of the work itself warrants.
Average customer rating:
- No More Lies
- Perception is everything, or is it? (Editorial follow up)
- Hey, guys...
- ...written on a level with Edmund Burke
- From both an academic and lay standpoint, an excellent read.
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Proofs of a Conspiracy
John Robison
Manufacturer: Western Islands
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0882791214 |
Book Description provided by the publisher, American Opinion Books
Utilizing original documents from the Order of the Illuminati, John Robison describes in detail this secret group, whose select members became part of conspiracy to enslave all people in Europe and America. Originally published in 1798, this book is a definitive work of its time on conspiracy.
-American Opinion Books
Customer Reviews:
No More Lies.......2005-03-27
Today in America, we are faced with a problem, and to understand that problem this book is here to assist. Professor Robison does a spectacular job in prooving there is an association of the most vial, perverse and disgusting humans to destroy Christianity and all governments throughout the World. This group he speaks of is still in existence, read the book and you too will know they exist. Just look around when you're finished reading this, keep reading on conspiracy and everything will fall into place a bit more easily.
Perception is everything, or is it? (Editorial follow up).......2000-04-13
If nothing more than to "arouse your faculties" this book is a must read. (I'm for reading anything that stimulates and provokes profound thought.) We're bombarded with so much crap and media overdose daily it's impossible to consume it all, none the less--digest the "Truth" and discard the dross. In short, this book will at least wake you up to thinking and pondering the going's on about you, whether it be an actual account, fantasy, assumed or in this editorials case a conspiracy (cliché).()END
Hey, guys..........1999-12-21
Both "Proofs" and Barrel's work on the French Revolution fell into disrepute and were considered--even proven--hoaxes. Nonetheless, groups like the John Birch society and its sister ideologies continue to preach it like gospel.
...written on a level with Edmund Burke.......1999-08-12
I've never been thrilled with conspiracy theories. I love "Proofs" because its author wrote clearly with a style rare in his era. Robison had a direct and uncluttered view of morality and the importance of events, decisions, and how mens' beliefs affect their actions. I compare "Proofs Of A Conspiracy" with Burke's "Reflections of the French Revolution." Ideas do have consequences.
From both an academic and lay standpoint, an excellent read........1998-09-18
Suffice it to say, professor Robison opened my eyes. His insights into masonry and secret societies are truly thought provoking. His historical perspective is likewise strong. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to any and all who wish to know what is really happening in the world. The best book I have yet had the pleasure to read. It should be followed up with "Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism," by Augustin Barruel. That one will fill in the missing picture.
Product Description
"Very few people are aware that the intense drama of our twentieth century--the life and death struggle between capitalism and Communism, freedom and slavery--has its origins in the late eighteenth century...Few are aware that in 1776, Adam Weishaupt, a professor of Canon law at Ingolstadt University in Germany, founded the Illuminati Order, a conspiratorial organization which all of the goals, aims and methods of what we know call Communism.
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|
Proof's [sic!] of a conspiracy
John Robison
Manufacturer: Ram Reprints
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B0007GUAY8 |
Average customer rating:
- A magnificent journal that will last a lifetime!
|
A Bird Lover's Life List & Journal
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Manufacturer: Bulfinch Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0821221388 |
Customer Reviews:
A magnificent journal that will last a lifetime!.......2004-05-31
I bought this book in 1992 when it first came out, and entered my Life List up to that date. It's still my Life List journal for North American birds -- the most recent was a migrating Wilson's Warbler that stopped to rest here during this past week, probably because of the heavy rain. Getting the book out to make that entry today is what inspired me to write this review.
Unlike the check-off lists in the back of the field guides, where there is barely room for the date the bird was seen, this handsome volume has the common and scientific names for each species, little check-off boxes for whether you saw it or heard it (or both), a line each for the date, location, and habitat, along with extra lines for any further remarks. The margins are nice and wide, too, allowing for yet more comments, and there's some blank pages in the back. I use those for my secondary list of birds we have seen on our hobby farm in Minnesota (87 species to date.)
In the 12 years I've had my copy of this journal, I have entered plenty of notes. Paging through the book is a double delight, both for the fond memories and the gorgeous reproductions of 48 Audubon paintings. In addition to the artwork, there's a nice intro by Norman Boucher, some marginal quotations from Audubon's journals, and updated remarks about endangered species and subspecies. The order of the bird list follows the 1983 American Onithologist's Union (A.O.U.) Checklist of north American Birds. There's also an index, so you can locate a species quickly.
The book itself measures 10 1/4 x 7 1/4 inches, with a library quality binding, a full-color textbook-type cover (i.e., no dust cover) and heavy glossy pages that will last a lifetime. It's a bit bulky to carry along on birdwalks, but that's not how I use it anyway. I keep this book at home on the shelf, safe from the many perils of the trail (such as today's rain!) When I sight a new bird, I transfer the entry from my field notes when I get back. I do find that fresh ballpoint ink smears on the slick paper if you're not careful, but this problem is easily solved. Simply insert a piece of typing paper between the pages until the ink dries. This is a small inconvenience compared to the permanence of the book. I plan to pass my copy down as a family heirloom.
Average customer rating:
|
Bird Lover's Life List & Journal
Boucher/Norman
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Outdoors & Nature
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| Birdwatching
| Conservation
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| Fauna
| Field Guides
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ASIN: 0821219936 |
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