BOOK REVIEWS 75 Language and Literature 2009 18(1) Changing English

A bounteous supply of texts exists to meet the varying needs of the student, instructor or general reader who is interested in the fascinating history of the English language. From the classic work of Baugh and Cable (1978) to the many excellent contributions by Crystal (e.g. 1988, 2003, 2004), there is certainly no shortage of resources. What, then, must a new textbook on the topic do in order to carve its own particular niche in an already competitive market? It could, as Bailey (1992) or Fennell (2001) have done, approach the subject with a ‘fresh ’ perspective, or at least through a non-traditional lens. Or it could, as Crystal (2004) in particular did, emphasize the plurality of the histories or ‘stories ’ of the various Englishes around the globe. It now seems, in fact, to be quite fashionable to demonstrate how a range of voices have contributed to the evolution and spread of the language, and it is in this vein that Graddol et al. have constructed their latest volume – and a worthwhile and valuable addition it most certainly is. While the book is a traditional history that should almost satisfy those who wish to trace the origins of the language, it is also more obviously an eclectic collection of case studies of the accents, dialects, and peculiarities of Englishes ranging from the very loca