“Thegreatestenterpriseofitskindinhistory,“wastheverdictofBritishprimeministerStanleyBaldwininJune1928whenTheOxfordEnglishDictionarywasfinallypublished.Withits15,490pagesandnearlytwomillionquotations,itwasindeedamonumentalachievement,gleanedfromtheeffortsofhundredsofordinaryandextraordinarypeoplewhomadeittheirmissiontocataloguetheEnglishlanguageinitsentirety.InTheMeaningofEverything,SimonWinchestercelebratesthisremarkablefeat,andthefascinatingcharacterswhoplayedsuchavitalpartinitsexecution,fromthecolourfulFrederickFurnivall,cheerfulpromoterofanall-femalescullingcrew,toJamesMurray,self-educatedsonofadraper,whospenthalfacenturyguidingtheprojecttowardsfruition.AlongthewaywelearnwhichdictionaryeditorbecametheinspirationforKennethGrahame’sRattyinTheWindintheWillows,andwhyTolkienfounditsohardtodefine“walrus“.WrittenbythebestsellingauthorofTheSurgeonofCrowthorneandTheMapThatChangedtheWorld,TheMeaningofEverythingisanenthrallingaccountofthecreationoftheworld’sgreatestdictionary.
