The Professor and the Madman

A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

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, and 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.

3.0 Stars
1 reader
Suggest edits

Reviews

Review by sunbreak
This was okay, but just okay. The story is interesting, but the author is a little heavy handed with how amazing the story's 'coincidences' are. In fact, the only really compelling coincidence is the part about the horse race in the end notes...
Likeless so far. Lead the way
0 comments

Are you sure you want to delete this?