Speaking American: A History of English in the United States
"The story of American English is one of eternal rises and falls in reputation, and Bailey, the author of several books on English, traces our assorted ways of speaking across the country, concentrating on a 50-year period, starting in Chesapeake Bay and ending in Los Angeles." --The New York TimesBook Review"Places fresh daggers in the heart of the idea that language can somehow be perfected and standardized and celebrates the ability of English to change, adapt, adopt, steal and transform.  -Kirkus Reviews"Fascinating...Grounding this historical journey in specific cities allows Bailey to infuse his narrative of American English with local color." --Ben Zimmer,The Boston Globe"Bailey's tour of the tongue includes enough colorful language-related anecdotes and enough cultural and historical meat to reward the patient general reader."--Chris Tucker,The Dallas Morning News"Speaking Americanis a brilliant kaleidoscopic picture of American English, showing deftly and authoritatively that Americans have always invented and re-invented our language as we please (and in every American place, from sea to shining sea)." --Erin McKean, Founder, Wordnik.com"Beautifully researched and engagingly written,Speaking Americanbreaks new ground in showing, city by city, the complex human forces that have given American English its individual character and vitality. It will become required reading for anyone interested in the history of English." --David Crystal, author ofThe Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English LanguageandThe Stories of English"Speaking Americanis a rich look at the mind-blowingly diverse forces that have twisted and tweaked English on these shores." --Mark Peters,Visual Thesaurus