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The Story of Webster's Third: Philip Gove's Controversial Dictionary and its Critics

by Herbert C. Morton (Author)
5 out of 5 stars 3 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0521558693
ISBN-10: 0521558697
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 360 pages
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 26, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0521558697
  • ISBN-13: 978-0521558693
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,175,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 starsThe most significant U.S. dictionary of the 20th century
By bruce horner on September 3, 2000
Format: Hardcover
If you're one of those people who consider a well done dictionary to be good early-morning reading material (and really, who isn't?) then this book is for you. Seriously, the Merriam-Webster Third Edition created a huge controversy when it was first released in 1961, being the first major U.S. dicitonary that took a mainly DESRIPTIVE rather than PRESCIPTIVE approach to the english language. Never mind that European dicionaries had been doing much the same for a hundred years or more, to many Americans this was heresy. The ripples from this storm are still bouncing about today. Too bad that Philip Gove, the editor and virtual godfather of the Third, was such a poor defender of it. Also too bad he didn't live long enough to see his editorial philosophy largely vindicated. Morton gives equal attention to Philip Gove, the dictionary itself, and the G. & C. Merriam Company. The historical section on Noah Webster and his dictionary, how it was acquired by the Merriam brothers, and the subsequent history of the company is most informative and fascinating. So is the discussion at the end of the lasting effects of Webster's Third. As it should be with any book about dictionaries, the material is well-organized, with everything clearly and logically laid out. A good read, and a must for lexiphiles.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA wonderful story for fans of cultural history
By Jerome Mckenna on October 21, 2014
Format: Hardcover
This is both a biography of Philip Gove and a story about the creation of what became his magnum opus, the third edition of the Webster's New International Dictionary. He was a capable lexicographer, but the biography of a lexicographer doesn't make the most exciting reading. So, it is the preparation of the new edition that is the story. The third was a major change from the second. Almost all the extraneous content of the second such as the history section were removed. This was done to save space. The idea was to keep the dictionary something that would fit in one volume. The other major change was the move to a less prescriptive style. This caused a major uproar and Mr. Gove was attacked by the very people who should have understood what he was doing.

The scandal of the release may be one reason why the publisher hasn't yet released a fourth edition even 63 years later. This is a good book for dictionary fans and lovers of cultural history.
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5.0 out of 5 starsThe American Big Dictionary
By CO on May 27, 2000
Format: Paperback
Philip Gove spent his career producing this magnum opus. Morton traces the work and the explosion that occurred when the dictionary was published. It's the American version of "The Professor and the Madman".
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