A Really Short History of Words : An illustrated edition of the bestselling book about the English language

Adapted from Mother Tongue this stunningly illustrated book by Bill Bryson tells the story of English, from the first words ever spoken to the very first dictionaries. Perfect for ages 8 to 80.

Every day, you do something incredible, and I bet you barely ever think about it: you speak. But have you ever wondered why the English language turned out like it did?

If so, this is the book for you. It will also answer some very important questions:

• Why do we have the Vikings to thank for words like glitter and sky?
• Why did goodbye used to be god be with you?
• Why did lol originally mean little old ladies?
• And why did no one know what majestic meant until Shakespeare came along?

In this epic journey through words, rhymes - and even a few jokes - Bill Bryson will teach you how the English language came to be (clue: lots of invasions) and what makes it a rich and beautiful thing (lots of Shakespeare).

Get ready because the story of the English language is an extraordinary one.