English for the author is an animated creature, he considers its history from the first Anglo-Saxons in the early Middle Ages, through Viking raids, the Norman conquest, the works of Chaucer and Shakespeare, the industrial revolution. Bragg also tracks the trip around the world made by the English in the wake of British imperialism, accompanying his hero everywhere - to America, India, and Australia. Several chapters are devoted to American English and its development under the influence of various factors - from Lewis and Clark travel magazines to African dialects imported by slaves. Looking ahead, Melvin reflects on the impact on literary normative language of the "other Ynglish" used by those for whom that language is second.