Thanks for your reply. I agree that Winchester has produced an interesting book with _The Professor and the Madman_. Impelled by an aggressive promotional campaign, Madman has attracted a wide readership. Aiming for a general audience however, the book touches only briefly on the methods employed in compiling the OED. Much of the book is apocryphal and conjectural, as it develops the tragic figure of W.C. Minor. For example, no one is privy to the actual conversations between James Murray and Dr. Minor. Nevertheless, as the book increases the public’s awareness of the lexicographer and his art, it serves a useful purpose, because until now, few people have given much thought to how dictionaries are made.

Elizabeth Murray, James Murray’s grand-daughter, has produced a more scholarly and informative book, in her biography, _Caught in the Web of Words: James A. H. Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary_. Ms. Murray admirably maintains her credibility through scrupulous research and by avoiding sensationalism. She refrains from over-indulgence in conjecture, and offers her opinion only while labeling it as such. She engages her reader by revealing the humanity of James Murray and the OED progenitors. Ms. Murray’s style is limpid and her prose is polished and eloquent, thus evincing a prodigious intellect and a truly artistic talent. I believe Web of Words is still in print and widely available, should you care to investigate.