A fascinating and insightful romp through the language we speak every day, by the linguistic expert who asucceeds again and again with clarity, wit and enthusiasma ("New York Times") In this discursive jaunt through the groves and thickets of the English language, David Crystal creates a mesmerizing and entertaining narrative account of his encounters with the language and its speakers. Woven from personal reflections, historical allusions, and observations of travelers, this fascinating journey through the language we use every day will have readers thinking twice about each word they speak. Starting in Wales and moving from England to San Francisco by way of, yes, Poland, Crystal encounters numerous linguistic side roads that he cannot resist exploring, from pubs to trains to Tolkien. "Walking English" captures the seductive, quirky, teasing, tantalizing nature of the language itselfaa Bill Bryson-esque exploration of language by our foremost expert on the subject.