Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World

Empires of the World: A Language History of the World is a 2011 historical nonfiction book by Nicholas Ostler. The book charts the history of spoken language in its myriad forms across the world. The book also explores the various lingua francas that have since seen decline.

Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World
AuthorNicholas Ostler
CountryUK
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistory, nonfiction
Published2011
PublisherHarperCollins
Pages640
ISBN9780062047359

Reception

Publishers Weekly called it "ambitious and accessible", and "stimulating".[1] The Independent noted that the book's "chief pleasure (...) lies in its detail, and in its hieroglyphs, ideograms and scripts plus translations."[2] Kirkus Reviews found it to be "dense but enlightening" and "(a)lways challenging, always instructive—at times, even startling or revolutionary", but expressed concern that its "sometimes turgid text" and sheer scope could "overwhelm general readers", and thereby prevent it from receiving the attention it deserves.[3]

References
  1. Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World, reviewed at Publishers Weekly; published May 16, 2005; retrieved September 11, 2019
  2. Empires of the Word, by Nicholas Ostler, reviewed by Michael Church, in The Independent; published April 6, 2005; retrieved September 11, 2019
  3. EMPIRES OF THE WORD: A Language History of the World, reviewed at Kirkus Reviews; published May 1, 2005; archived online May 20, 2010; retrieved September 11, 2019
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