Ostler's ambitious and accessible book is not a technical linguistic study-i.e., it's not concerned with language structure-but about the "growth, development and collapse of language communities" and their cultures. Chairman of the Foundation of Endangered Languages, Ostler's as fascinated by extinction as he is by survival. He thus traces the fortunes of Sumerian, Akkadian and Aramaic in the flux of ancient Middle Eastern military empires. Ancient Egyptian's three millennia of stability compares with the longevity of similarly pictographic Chinese-and provides a cautionary example: even a populous, well-defined linguistic community can vanish. In all cases, Ostler stresses the role of culture, commerce and conquest in the rise and fall of languages, whether Spanish, Portuguese and French in the Americas or Dutch in Asia and Africa. The rise of English to global status, Ostler argues, owes much to the economic prestige of the Industrial Revolution, but its future as a lingua franca may falter on demographic trends, such as booming birth rates in China. This stimulating book is a history of the world as seen through the spread and demise of languages. Maps. Agent, Natasha Fairweather at A.P. Watt Ltd. (July 8) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Ostler presents a masterly comparative analysis of empires' linguistic effects throughout history. An Oxford graduate and chair of the Foundation for Endangered Languages, Ostler writes in a concise yet engaging manner, displaying an impressive grasp of the history of languages, from Aramaic and Sanskrit to Chinese and Spanish. Language, he asserts, is a natural definer of communities and societies and therefore an integral part of history. Ostler analyzes the different ways in which certain languages have prevailed over others, chronologically and in relation to broader imperial pursuits. For example, Egyptian fell by the wayside during the successive rule of the Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic empires; in contrast, Chinese has remained strong despite the incursion of the Mongols, Manchus, and challenges from Western powers in the 19th century. Ostler's study ultimately shows that all languages are susceptible to downfall; even the current, unprecedented prevalence of English, aided by global communication and trade, is neither impervious nor eternal. This book is accessible to anyone with an interest in language, and its original ideas, generous notes, and extensive bibliography make it well suited to academic libraries as well.-Rebecca Bollen Manalac, Lane Cove Lib., Sydney, Australia Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
[A] wide-ranging history of the world’s languages... [Ostler] brilliantly raises questions and supplies answers or theories.” — Washington Post
“Enlightening . . . Always challenging, always instructive—at times, even startling or revolutionary.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Delicious! Ostler’s book shows how certain lucky languages joined humankind in its spread across the world.” — John McWhorter
“What an extraordinary odyssey the author of this superb work embarked upon.” — Literary Review
“Covers more rambunctious territory than any other single volume I’m aware of...A wonderful ear for the project’s poetry.” — John Leonard, Harper's Magazine
“Revolutionary... Executed with a giddying depth of scholarship, yet the detail is never too thick to swamp the general reader.” — Boston magazine
“True scholarship. A marvelous book, learned and instructive.” — National Review
“[A] monumental new book... Ostler furnishes many fresh insights, useful historical anecdotes and charming linguistic oddities.” — Chicago Tribune
“A work of immense erudition.” — Christian Science Monitor
“A story of dramatic reversals and puzzling paradoxes. A rich... text with many piercing observations and startling comparisons.” — Los Angeles Times Book Review
What an extraordinary odyssey the author of this superb work embarked upon.
A work of immense erudition.
Christian Science Monitor
A story of dramatic reversals and puzzling paradoxes. A rich... text with many piercing observations and startling comparisons.
Los Angeles Times Book Review
Covers more rambunctious territory than any other single volume I’m aware of...A wonderful ear for the project’s poetry.
True scholarship. A marvelous book, learned and instructive.
Revolutionary... Executed with a giddying depth of scholarship, yet the detail is never too thick to swamp the general reader.
[A] wide-ranging history of the world’s languages... [Ostler] brilliantly raises questions and supplies answers or theories.
[A] monumental new book... Ostler furnishes many fresh insights, useful historical anecdotes and charming linguistic oddities.
Delicious! Ostler’s book shows how certain lucky languages joined humankind in its spread across the world.
[A] wide-ranging history of the world’s languages... [Ostler] brilliantly raises questions and supplies answers or theories.
[A] monumental new book... Ostler furnishes many fresh insights, useful historical anecdotes and charming linguistic oddities.
A story of dramatic reversals and puzzling paradoxes. A rich... text with many piercing observations and startling comparisons.
Los Angeles Times Book Review
True scholarship. A marvelous book, learned and instructive.
"Revolutionary... Executed with a giddying depth of scholarship, yet the detail is never too thick to swamp the general reader."
