In this fascinating history of the influences on English during the first thousand years of its formation the author shows when and why the Anglo-Saxons began to borrow words from Latin and Greek and the effects of contact with the Vikings, Celts, and French. A book of enduring value to everyone interested in the history of English. In my view, this is an exciting and important book which lives up thoroughly to the publishers blurb: scholarly, readable, and always fascinating. I can recommend it wholeheartedly to teachers and advanced postgraduates, and also for researchers looking for a handy authoritative account of early language-contact in English