Noah Webster: The Life and Times of an American Patriot Book

Based on the last couple of paragraphs in the epilogue I would say the author is an English-only advocate and proponent of assimilation rather than acculturation. Had I known that ahead of time I might not have bought the book. But, know thy enemy, right?

However, it is an extremely well-researched and detailed biography of Noah Webster. Through N. Webster's perspective it is also a concise history of almost the first one hundred years of the United Sates which I found to be a bonus, sort of a two for one deal. His life begins before the American Revolution and ends with Martin Van Buren's presidency.

I didn't find it to be at all dry. On the contrary, the writing was quite fluid and as easily readable as something like -The Mayflower- by Nathaniel Philbrick or -The Wordy Shipmates- by Sarah Vowel.

Actually, I think it should be required reading in high school. Language and Social Studies teachers should all add this to their personal "to read" lists. There is just so much interesting history (including copyright law & capitalism in early America), not only of the nation, but also, of the English language and the field of linguistics. No doubt lexicographers devoured it voraciously as soon as it hit the shelves.

Bottom line: I highly recommend it if you are interested in any one of the topics that I have tagged or is listed as a chapter title.