Mother Tongue

the English language

Paperback, 288 pages

English language

Published Sept. 26, 1991 by Penguin Books Ltd.

ISBN:
978-0-14-014305-8
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3 stars (1 review)

19 editions

Review of 'Mother Tongue' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Bill Bryson is very much admired in my family, but I have only read two of his books before and neither had a claim to factual accuracy. Reading The Mother Tongue I noticed a couple of red flags as mentioned in other reviews but not much more, and the geopolitical and technological anachronisms didn't bother me, just looked quirky looking back three decades.
Having read other reviews (is that cheating?) and considering the somewhat careless fact-checking and Anglocentric nature of this book, I give it 3 stars as it was an enjoyable read for me as a trivia lover with an interest in languages but a rudimentary understanding of the history of English.

Subjects

  • Language & Linguistics
  • Social history
  • English
  • Language