The Stories of English

Crystal's book is a very comprehensive survey of the development of English. British linguist Crystal depicts the history of the English language from the fifth century with the Anglo-Saxons tribes to contemporary language that is constantly evolving. Crystal succeeds in being both scholarly and accessible to the non-specialist. He does not only tell the story of the standard language but explores the various non-standard dialects that shaped and lead the English language to be what it is today. Crystal argues with conviction that English is a constantly changing and developing language. His informative and entertaining book reads like a novel. The twenty chapters, which can be read independently of the others, relate one chapter of the history of the English language.
This book is a great journey through the history of the English language for anyone who has a general interest in this language.