The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Oxford English Dictionary

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But thrown into the pot for good measure are also bits of the American Civil War, the part played by the Irish in that war, a discussion of the nature of lunatic asylums and even an incredibly sexy description of the naked, romping girls of Sri Lanka which I can only assume was paid for by the Sri Lankan Tourist Bureau: Winchester, Simon (2004). The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary. OUP. p.201.

The misleading titles annoy me: “The Surgeon of Crowthorne” in the UK and “The Professor and the Madman” in the US. The name of the village housing the asylum is not very relevant, nor that Minor was previously a surgeon, and the US title is horribly tabloid as well as inaccurate: James Murray was never a professor, nor any sort of university academic. He was an autodidact school-teacher who was employed by Oxford University Press, and knighted in his 70s, and awarded an honorary doctorate the year before he died.French director Luc Besson handed Mel Gibson the project, saying, "It isn't my first language. Maybe you can do something with this". [3] Gibson, who originally intended to direct, hired his Apocalypto co-screenwriter Farhad Safinia to replace him, while he remained in the role of James Murray. Sean Penn entered early talks to join the film as William Chester Minor in August 2016. [4] In August, Natalie Dormer signed on for a role. [5] In September, Ioan Gruffudd joined the cast. [6] Patten, Dominic (6 April 2019). "Mel Gibson On 'The Professor & The Madman' 'Disappointment' & Legal Battle". Deadline. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019 . Retrieved 4 August 2019. Tatiana Siegel (21 February 2005). "Mel Gibson, Sean Penn to Star in 'Professor and the Madman' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2 August 2016.

Winchester, Simon (1998), The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (1sted.), New York: HarperCollin/Publishers, ISBN 978-0-06-017596-2, OCLC 38425992 ). For centuries, there were atlases, prayer books, histories, romances, and books of science and art, but no English dictionary as we think of one. Shakespeare probably had Cooper’s thesaurus, and word lists grouped by subject, but not a dictionary. To be sure, I am not Mr. Winchester's publicist, though I have met him several times at local book gatherings where he has spoken & read excerpts from his non-fiction works, including one for my village's annual "One Book" event in connection with The Man Who Loved China where Simon had the audience laughing before he had even been formally introduced.The final three sections made it all clear to me. This guy thinks simply thinks he's The Man, a literary genius bringing an otherwise forgotten story to the masses: The discussion of the cooperative process of compiling the OED and the monumental undertaking that such creating the OED was fascinating. Tens of thousands of amateur philologists researching and sending Murray’s team slips with words and brief histories of their origin, which were then compiled and processed by the Oxford committee. This was terrific stuff. Minor was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the son of Eastman Strong Minor and his first wife, Lucy Bailey. His parents were Congregational church missionaries from New England. He had numerous half-siblings, among them Thomas T. Minor, mayor of Seattle, Washington. [2] At age 14, he was sent to the United States, where he lived with relatives in New Haven while attending Russell Military Academy. He subsequently enrolled at the Yale School of Medicine, supporting himself during his years as a medical student with part-time employment as an instructor at the Russell Academy and as an assistant on the 1864 revision of Webster's Dictionary, [3] then in preparation at Yale under the supervision of Noah Porter. Minor graduated in 1863 with a medical degree and a specialization in comparative anatomy. After a brief stint at Knight General Hospital in New Haven he joined the Union Army. Barfield, Charles. " 'The Professor And The Madman' Trailer: Mel Gibson & Sean Penn Star In Film That Has Been Involved In Real-Life Legal Drama". ThePlaylist.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019 . Retrieved 8 February 2019. The Professor and the Madman digital". Blu-ray.com. 10 May 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020 . Retrieved 31 January 2020.

Not enough primary sources. There are some good quotes about Minor's condition but Winchester does not cite dates or say where the quotes came from. I would have thought a historian would know better?? Also Winchester goes to all the trouble to describe photos but does not include printed copies of the photos. Why??? Maddaus, Gene (1 August 2017). "Mel Gibson Sues Voltage Pictures Over Final Cut of 'Professor and the Madman' ". Variety. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017 . Retrieved 8 September 2017. Theatrical release in markets outside the U.S. began in March and April 2019. In January 2019, Vertical Entertainment acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. [14] The U.S. release date was May 10, 2019, with simultaneous limited theatrical release and video on demand. [15] Home media [ edit ]Zorianna Kit (13 December 2000). "Icon, Par Refer To Boorman For 'madman' Helm". The Hollywood Reporter (republished by AllBusiness) . Retrieved 21 February 2012. Opening: In Victorian London, even in a place as louche and notoriously crime-ridden as the Lambeth Marsh, the sound of gun-shots was a rare event indeed. a b Simon Winchester (28 September 2010). "Larry Ashmead obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved 20 February 2012.