“Anarrativefullofsuspense,pathosandhumor....Inthiselegantbook[Winchester]hascreatedavividparable,inthespiritofNabokovandBorges.Thereismuchtruthtobedrawnfromit,aboutVictorianpride,therelationbetweenlanguageandtheworld,andthefinelinebetweensanityandmadness.“--DanielMarkEpstein,WallStreetJournal“Splendid....SimonWinchestercouldnothavetolditbetter.“--TheEconomistIncelebrationofits25thanniversary,anupdatededitionoftheworldwidecelebratedclassic,featuringanewintroductionbytheauthor.Masterfullyresearchedandeloquentlywritten,TheProfessorandtheMadmanisanextraordinarytaleofmadness,genius,andtheincredibleobsessionsoftworemarkablementhatledtothemakingoftheOxfordEnglishDictionary--oneofthemostambitiousprojectseverundertaken.Asdefinitionswerecollected,theOED’soverseeingcommittee,ledbyProfessorJamesMurray,wasstunnedtodiscoverthatoneman,Dr.W.C.Minor,hadsubmittedmorethantenthousandentries.Buttheirsurprisewouldpaleincomparisontowhattheywereabouttodiscoverwhenthecommitteeinsistedonhonoringhim.Dr.Minor,anAmericanCivilWarveteran,wasalsoaninmateatanasylumforthecriminallyinsane.
