The Surgeon of Crowthorne
  • Published: 3 June 1999
  • ISBN: 9780140271287
  • Imprint: Penguin General UK
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: $24.99

The Surgeon of Crowthorne

A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Oxford English Dictionary

Formats & editions
Paperback
3 Jun 1999
EBook
5 Oct 1999
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The making of the Oxford English Dictionary was a monumental 50 year task requiring thousands of volunteers.

One of the keenest volunteers was a W C Minor who astonished everyone by refusing to come to Oxford to receive his congratulations. In the end, James Murray, the OED's editor, went to Crowthorne in Berkshire to meet him. What he found was incredible - Minor was a millionaire American civil war surgeon turned lunatic, imprisoned in Broadmoor Asylum for murder and yet who dedicated his entire cell-bound life to work on the English language.
  • Published: 3 June 1999
  • ISBN: 9780140271287
  • Imprint: Penguin General UK
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: $24.99
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About the author

Simon Winchester

Simon Winchester was born and educated in England. He was a foreign correspondent for more than thirty years includng twelve years for the Guardian in Asia, reporting on the Hong Kong handover to China for the newspaper in 1997, and twenty years as the Asia editor for Condé Nast Traveler. He is the author of many highly acclaimed and bestsellng works of non-fiction. He now lives in Massachusetts.

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The Surgeon of Crowthorne: Popular Penguins
A Crack in the Edge of the World
Krakatoa
Outposts
The Map That Changed the World
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