No book had more influence on twentieth-century writers of English than
Henry Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage. It rapidly became
the standard work of reference for the correct use of English in terms
of choice of words, grammar, and style. Much loved for his firm opinions,
passion, and dry humor, Fowler has stood the test of time and is still
considered by many to be the best arbiter of good practice.

Now Oxford is bringing back the original long-out-of-print first edition
of this beloved work, enhanced with a new introduction by one of today's
leading experts on the language, David Crystal. Drawing on a wealth of
entertaining examples, Crystal offers an insightful reassessment Fowler's
reputation and his place in the history of linguistic thought. Fowler,
Crystal points out, was far more sophisticated in his analysis of language
than most people realize and many of his entries display a concern for
descriptive accuracy which would do any modern linguist proud. And although
the book is full of his personal likes and dislikes, Fowler's prescriptivism
is usually intelligent and reasoned. Crystal concludes warmly that Fowler
was like "an endearingly eccentric, schoolmasterly character, driven at
times to exasperation by the infelicities of his wayward pupils, but always
wanting the best for them and hoping to provide the best guidance for them...
He may shake his stick at us, but we never feel we are actually going to
be beaten."

In the concluding section of the book, Crystal examines nearly 300 entries
in detail, offers a modern perspective on them, and shows how English has
changed since the 1920s. This exciting and long awaited re-release of one
of the classic works of English reference will delight everyone interested
in language.

Features

* Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage is a classic, an unsurpassed
resource on the correct use of English in matters of style and grammar.
Now the original edition is introduced by the best-known modern expert on
language usage, David Crystal, in a comprehensive edition that re-evaluates
Fowler for the 21st century.
* The only hardback edition of this standard reference work, and the only
edition to include contextualizing introduction and commentary.
* David Crystal's introduction places the Dictionary in the climate of its
time, and reaches some fascinating conclusions about how the book really
works, looking beyond the common notion that it is wholly prescriptive and
idiosyncratic. Illustrated with numerous illuminating examples from the
Dictionary.
* Notes on the entries discuss the changes in usage and attitude between
Fowler and today, showing how English has changed since the 1920s by
reference to modern corpus studies, grammars, dictionaries and the internet.
* Includes a chronology, bibliography, and a table of pronunciation
preferences, showing how the pronunciation of words has changed during
the past century.

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