J. L. Austin: Philosopher and D-Day Intelligence Officer

bThe first biography of the philosopher who became a mastermind of Allied intelligence in World War Two./b

Austere, witty, and formidable, J. L. Austin (1911-1960) was the leader of Oxford Ordinary Language Philosophy and the founder of speech-act theory. This book—the first full-length biography of Austin—enhances our understanding of his dominance in 1950s Oxford, examining the significance of his famous Saturday morning seminars, and his sometimes tense relationships with Gilbert Ryle, Is...