This is a selection of books on language and writing (with GEMs highlighted). The list includes links for the Wikipedia page and an e-book version (if available). There is also a column called “More info” with links to optional posts on each book.
Note that the list is sortable by each column. (Multiple levels of sorting are possible by sorting more than one column in succession, from lowest to highest.) You can also do an instant filtering of the table by entering a character string in the ‘Search’ field.
The books on the list include reference books (such as dictionaries and thesauruses), textbooks, and monographs on English vocabulary, grammar and style. I have always been very interested in the English language, and one of these books Six Weeks to Words of Power inculcated a joy within me of constantly enriching my vocabulary, a joy which has still not left me. (Incidentally, the author of this book Wilfred Funk created my favorite feature in Reader’s Digest magazine “It Pays to Increase Your Word Power”, which has lasted for over 75 years!)
The list also includes some dictionaries and style guides which have been seminal works in the development of the English language. Finally, I have included two textbooks which have been beloved by high-school students in India for ages: interestingly, these books are better known by their authors’ names rather than by their titles (Wren & Martin on grammar, and Dondo on French).
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