Collects the words of Americans from all walks of life, presenting more than five thousand entries on five hundred topics.

With nearly 6,000 quotations arranged historically and annotated extensively, you'll know not just who said what, but get the full story behind the quote. Follow any of the more than five hundred topics (from Abolition to Zeal) and you will get a nutshell history of what great (and not-so-great) Americans had to say about each one. Quotations are arranged chronologically in each topic, allowing the reader to trace patterns of thought over time. Fully indexed by author (including brief biographical sketches) and keyword, this is an essential reference for anyone interested in the great people and ideas of American history.

Collects the words of Americans from all walks of life, presenting more than five thousand entries on five hundred topics.

From “all systems go” to “senior moment”—a comprehensive reference to idiomatic English. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms explores the meanings and origins of idioms that may not make literal sense but play an important role in the language—including phrasal verbs such as kick back, proverbs such as too many cooks spoil the broth, interjections such as tough beans, and figures of speech such as elephant in the room. With extensive revisions that reflect new historical scholarship and changes in the English language, this second edition defines over 10,000 idiomatic expressions in greater detail than any other dictionary available today—a remarkable reference for those studying the English language, or anyone who enjoys learning its many wonderful quirks and expressions. “Invaluable as a teaching tool.” —School Library Journal

Provides coverage of literary and historical quotations. An easy-to-use keyword index traces quotations and their authors, while the appendix material, including Catchphrases, Film Lines, Official Advice, and Political Slogans, offers further topics of interest.

The first edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations was published in 1941 and for over 70 years this bestselling book has remained unrivalled in its coverage of quotations past and present. The eighth edition is a vast treasury of wit and wisdom spanning the centuries and providing the ultimate answer to the question, 'Who said that?' Find that half-remembered line in a browser's paradise of over 20,000 quotations, comprehensively indexed for ready reference. Lord Byron may have taken the view: 'I think it great affectation not to quote oneself', but for the less self-centred the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations provides a quote for every occasion from the greatest minds of history and from undistinguished characters known only for one happy line. Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled dictionary research programme and unique language monitoring, over 700 new quotations have been added to this eighth edition from authors ranging from St Joan of Arc and Coco Chanel to Albrecht Dürer and Thomas Jefferson. New sayings from across the ages include 'It would not be better if things happened to men just as they wish' (the classical writer Heraclitus), 'Fight on, and God will give the Victory' (the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison), and 'The future is already here—it's just not evenly distributed' (the writer William Gibson).

"Douglas Brinkley and American Heritage have done a grand job. This is a first-rate book: fair, clear, and enormously welcome." - David McCullough "Douglas Brinkley's one-volume history is a riveting narrative of unique people who have come to call themselves American. There is no dust on these pages as the author brilliantly tells our national story with skill and brevity." In this rich and inspiring book, acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley takes us on the incredible journey of the United States - a nation formed from a vast countryside on whose fringes thirteen small British colonies fought for their freedom, then established a democratic nation that spanned the continent, and went on to become a world power. This book will be treasured by anyone interested in the story of America.

Written with characteristic verve, Quotation Marks considers, among other subjects, how we depend upon the most quotable men and women in history, using great writers to bolster what we ourselves have to say. The entertaining turns and reversals of Marjorie Garber's arguments offer the rare pleasure of a true essayist.