Scan barcode
neilrcoulter's review against another edition
4.0
I first heard of this book from Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster, in his presentation at last year’s ACES conference. He recommended it highly and shared some of the history that author Peter Martin covers in the book. I’ve finally had the chance to read it, and I learned a lot. The story of the development of dictionaries in the United States is bigger than just the printed books—it’s really the story of language change, national identity, cultural shifts, education, journalism, commerce, and more. For someone (like me) who is endlessly fascinated by language, this history of the nineteenth century in America is very interesting.
We all know the name “Webster,” but I didn’t know that Noah Webster was such a jerk. I think he’s someone who would have thrived on social media, had he lived in our era. He couldn’t resist getting the last word in often personal attacks through pamphlets and newspapers. His main opponent in the dictionary wars was Joseph Worcester, who by all rights should be a much better-known name than Webster’s. Webster v. Worcester are the “Ford v. Ferrari” of this story. Where Webster was the bombastic, fame-hungry, arrogant personality who created a dictionary (1828) that is full of misguided ideas and outright errors (especially in the bizarre etymologies), Worcester was the careful, thorough, steadily working scholar. Webster (and, after his death, George and Charles Merriam) weren’t content until they’d dragged everyone around them down to their level of obnoxious argument, but at the end of it all, it was Worcester who single-handedly created the best of the American English dictionaries (1860).
Yet that’s the crux of the matter: single-handedly. Worcester died in 1865 and left the Merriam brothers a few more years to transform the dictionary-making landscape. By transitioning the process from one person working (basically) alone into a large team of specialists working on the enormous task together, the Merriams changed dictionary-making forever and ensured the legacy of the Webster brand (even if ensuring that legacy meant undoing much of what Noah Webster himself had stood for).
There’s a sadness in reading The Dictionary Wars, because even if you don’t know anything about the story (I knew very little about it), you definitely know that somehow Webster ends up winning and Worcester disappears. It’s sad because that’s not the way you want it to work out. It’s like reading the transcript of a long, bitter, unfair Twitter battle, and the person who ends up on top is the one who fought the dirtiest. History is hard to stomach sometimes.
Martin’s book is a fascinating glimpse into American life in the nineteenth century. Though by the last third of the book I had had more than enough of the back-and-forth attacks between the various players (it all becomes so repetitive and discouraging after a while), I’m glad to know this piece of my country’s (and my language’s) past. It’s yet another reminder that our current era is not so different (neither better nor worse) than previous times in history. Humans are humans, and no matter what technology they employ, they always end up proving that fact. Yet out of it also come some glorious achievements. We’re a strange bunch.
We all know the name “Webster,” but I didn’t know that Noah Webster was such a jerk. I think he’s someone who would have thrived on social media, had he lived in our era. He couldn’t resist getting the last word in often personal attacks through pamphlets and newspapers. His main opponent in the dictionary wars was Joseph Worcester, who by all rights should be a much better-known name than Webster’s. Webster v. Worcester are the “Ford v. Ferrari” of this story. Where Webster was the bombastic, fame-hungry, arrogant personality who created a dictionary (1828) that is full of misguided ideas and outright errors (especially in the bizarre etymologies), Worcester was the careful, thorough, steadily working scholar. Webster (and, after his death, George and Charles Merriam) weren’t content until they’d dragged everyone around them down to their level of obnoxious argument, but at the end of it all, it was Worcester who single-handedly created the best of the American English dictionaries (1860).
Yet that’s the crux of the matter: single-handedly. Worcester died in 1865 and left the Merriam brothers a few more years to transform the dictionary-making landscape. By transitioning the process from one person working (basically) alone into a large team of specialists working on the enormous task together, the Merriams changed dictionary-making forever and ensured the legacy of the Webster brand (even if ensuring that legacy meant undoing much of what Noah Webster himself had stood for).
There’s a sadness in reading The Dictionary Wars, because even if you don’t know anything about the story (I knew very little about it), you definitely know that somehow Webster ends up winning and Worcester disappears. It’s sad because that’s not the way you want it to work out. It’s like reading the transcript of a long, bitter, unfair Twitter battle, and the person who ends up on top is the one who fought the dirtiest. History is hard to stomach sometimes.
Martin’s book is a fascinating glimpse into American life in the nineteenth century. Though by the last third of the book I had had more than enough of the back-and-forth attacks between the various players (it all becomes so repetitive and discouraging after a while), I’m glad to know this piece of my country’s (and my language’s) past. It’s yet another reminder that our current era is not so different (neither better nor worse) than previous times in history. Humans are humans, and no matter what technology they employ, they always end up proving that fact. Yet out of it also come some glorious achievements. We’re a strange bunch.
momey's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this description of the politics and personalities behind the dictionary (and a facet of nation building really) was interesting and written interestingly. Honestly though I enjoyed the tale of the eccentric author of the OED (The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary) much more. I loved the description of how that author compiled the words and their definitions whereas the power plays, arguments and cranky old-man ego recounts kind of overshadowed the tale of the man and his vision so-to-speak.
mcarley88's review against another edition
4.0
This is an INCREDIBLY dense book. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but it takes some mental investment. Perhaps even a little too much density for the subject. If you're really interested in how and why dictionaries were/are made, or why we all have "Webster's" dictionaries, read this book. Personally, I loved it. But I would also make "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" required yearly reading for every English-speaking person in the world, so I may not be representative of your personal tastes.
courtneyfalling's review
informative
slow-paced
3.5
I didn't expect "fuck Webster" to ever be a take I had this strongly, but here we are. (The sheer hatred people had for him! Was deserved! The quotes rival those from Ted Cruz's ex-college roommate!)
And fuck the Merriam brothers even more! Everyone here sucks and it was wildly entertaining for an academic-like history of dictionaries. (Idk, either you get it or you don't.) I feel like the author knows too: his deadpan humor was pretty fun.
And fuck the Merriam brothers even more! Everyone here sucks and it was wildly entertaining for an academic-like history of dictionaries. (Idk, either you get it or you don't.) I feel like the author knows too: his deadpan humor was pretty fun.
kathryn_smth's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.5
While the beginning of the book was fairly slow and seemed to focus on details that I personally don’t think we’re important to the history, the picked up quickly. Overall, it was a fascinating story that was clearly well researched, and it was by far one of the more interesting pieces of lexicographical history that one could recount.
writerrhiannon's review
5.0
Read my review on my blog: https://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2019/05/review-dictionary-wars-american-fight.html
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.
I have always considered a dictionary to be an informative collection of words, a writing companion, and a seemingly endless source of ideas—not necessarily a controversial publication. The Dictionary Wars taught me that I was oh so wrong. The historical conflicts surrounding American dictionaries were intense! As a new republic America’s first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, wanted an American dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 British Dictionary of the English Language, but they each had their own ideas about what that dictionary would entail. Webster believed an American dictionary “ought to be informed by the nation's republican principles.” Worcester, however, “thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far.” After Webster’s death, the Merriam brothers acquired Webster’s publishing rights and launched another language war. With libel suits and fraud claims galore, The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight Over the English Language is a word nerd’s dream.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.
I have always considered a dictionary to be an informative collection of words, a writing companion, and a seemingly endless source of ideas—not necessarily a controversial publication. The Dictionary Wars taught me that I was oh so wrong. The historical conflicts surrounding American dictionaries were intense! As a new republic America’s first lexicographers, Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Worcester, wanted an American dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 British Dictionary of the English Language, but they each had their own ideas about what that dictionary would entail. Webster believed an American dictionary “ought to be informed by the nation's republican principles.” Worcester, however, “thought that such language reforms were reckless and went too far.” After Webster’s death, the Merriam brothers acquired Webster’s publishing rights and launched another language war. With libel suits and fraud claims galore, The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight Over the English Language is a word nerd’s dream.
More...