Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.

Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.



An outstanding work, 05 Oct 2004
The Little Red Writing Book is simply one of the best books published on the topic of writing. Brandon Royal's handy book is perfect for students, professionals, and others who want to improve their writing skills. Royal's text is also an excellent reference guide if you want to brush up on grammatical and style rules that you may have forgotten in the years after your formal education. Overall, the Little Red Writing book is one of the most useful texts I have used for essay writing.

"best small all-rounded writing book in the market", 10 Sep 2004
As somewhat who communicates for a living, I recently purchased The Little Red Writing Book to add to my personal library. Notwithstanding its hard cover, this book clearly reminded me of an earlier soft cover classic, The Elements of Style. I couldn't help reviewing both books while noting their similarities and differences. Here's my take.

The Elements of Style is really a grammar book with a dose of style added. The Little Red Writing Book is foremost a writing skills book with grammar added. Case in point: The Elements of Style devotes half its coverage to "rules of usage" and "words and expressions commonly misused"; it doesn't even address structure, whereas The Little Red Writing Book wastes no time in discussing the "top-down approach to writing" and the "high school five-paragraph approach to writing". In terms of writing style, the essence of The Elements of Style is "cut out unnecessary words", while the gist of The Little Red Writing Book is "be specific, give adequate support for what you say".

The Elements of Style contains no exercises. The Little Red Writing Book does, and this is an indisputable strength of this book, for I know of no other small book that deals with writing and also contains short exercises. I have secretly marveled at writing books that attempt to teach writing without providing exercises. Of course, any handbook of English grammar will contain exercises, but its thickness will prove intimidating for all but the bravest student.

Which brings me to another point. In dividing the world of writing books into manuals, handbooks, and pocketbooks, there certainly exist a number of excellent books in the first two of these categories. The Chicago Manual of Style and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage are examples of renowned manuals; Warriner's English Grammar and Composition and Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers are just two of many superb handbooks.

The Little Red Writing Book brought home to me the idea of all-roundedness. All of the pocketbooks that I've reviewed to-date are focused on grammar. TLRWB is broad reaching and the book's introduction highlights this:

*Writing has four pillars-structure, style, readability, and grammar-and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair. Structure is really about organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Readability is about presentation, and how to make a document visually pleasing and easy to read. Grammar, including diction, is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form.*

One of my pet peeves with other writing books and writing courses is that they focus on grammar. I believe this has in large part led to the belief that if a person masters grammar, then he or she has mastered writing. I know people who can write technically correct sentences but are still not effective writers. As TLRWB points out, writing is based on macro elements as well. Grammar, including spelling and punctuation, represents only a single leg.

In my assessment, this is the most all-rounded small writing book in the market today. It's "fun" too. I would most highly recommend it to any high school or college student. (I've left my copy at the office to "encourage" a few colleagues to review basic writing fundamentals for themselves.)

Other recommendations. My four favorite grammar/punctuation books include: The Elements of Style (the best of grammar in the shortest period of time), Write Right! (this book's emphasis is on punctuation but in a very distilled manner), The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (excellent for understanding the differences in punctuation between American and British English) and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire (a grammar book built around the eight parts of speech and written with real verve).

I should point out that I've concentrated on non-fiction books in this review. My two favorite "fiction writing" books include Stephen King's On Writing and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist.

P.S. I also judge a book in terms of its memorable lines, and this book has its share. "An airline pilot never leaves the runway without having a destination and flight pattern." (page 13; refers to writing structure); "A valued technique, which can be used when writing rough drafts, is to stress the point you wish to make by placing 'for example' immediately after what you write." (page 38; refers to support techniques); "Unpolished writing is like shifting sand in a desert storm. Eventually the storm ceases and the sand sits still." (page 99; refers to readability and the need to let writing "sit" before being called finished); "It is said that 90 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 99 percent of the time. (page 132; refers to punctuation).

Excellent Writing Reference, 03 Sep 2004
'Avoid needless words,' say Strunk & White in 'The Elements of Style'. Many reference books for writers break this rule immediately. Brandon Royal manages to keep his 'Little Red Writing Book' concise. A handsome hardcover book with illustrations that take away some of the tedium present in plain texts. I heartily recommend it.

A Great Gift for anyone who needs to write well...,, 03 Sep 2004
The perfect gift for students, professionals and anyone who has to write. Not only does this book contain the "good oil" on writing, it is magnificently presented. The book's size, hardcover, illustrations and color make it a writer's reference that begs to be read. Don't let the books title fool you, there is nothing "little" about this writing book! Congratulations to author, Brandon Royal, on a modern look at writing that surely outdoes some of the older texts currently on the market.
Buy youself a present now!

Bravo!, 12 Aug 2004
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But the material inside this book is every bit the equal of its beautiful covering. Bravo. I toast the author and his publisher.

Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.



An outstanding work, 05 Oct 2004
The Little Red Writing Book is simply one of the best books published on the topic of writing. Brandon Royal's handy book is perfect for students, professionals, and others who want to improve their writing skills. Royal's text is also an excellent reference guide if you want to brush up on grammatical and style rules that you may have forgotten in the years after your formal education. Overall, the Little Red Writing book is one of the most useful texts I have used for essay writing.

"best small all-rounded writing book in the market", 10 Sep 2004
As somewhat who communicates for a living, I recently purchased The Little Red Writing Book to add to my personal library. Notwithstanding its hard cover, this book clearly reminded me of an earlier soft cover classic, The Elements of Style. I couldn't help reviewing both books while noting their similarities and differences. Here's my take.

The Elements of Style is really a grammar book with a dose of style added. The Little Red Writing Book is foremost a writing skills book with grammar added. Case in point: The Elements of Style devotes half its coverage to "rules of usage" and "words and expressions commonly misused"; it doesn't even address structure, whereas The Little Red Writing Book wastes no time in discussing the "top-down approach to writing" and the "high school five-paragraph approach to writing". In terms of writing style, the essence of The Elements of Style is "cut out unnecessary words", while the gist of The Little Red Writing Book is "be specific, give adequate support for what you say".

The Elements of Style contains no exercises. The Little Red Writing Book does, and this is an indisputable strength of this book, for I know of no other small book that deals with writing and also contains short exercises. I have secretly marveled at writing books that attempt to teach writing without providing exercises. Of course, any handbook of English grammar will contain exercises, but its thickness will prove intimidating for all but the bravest student.

Which brings me to another point. In dividing the world of writing books into manuals, handbooks, and pocketbooks, there certainly exist a number of excellent books in the first two of these categories. The Chicago Manual of Style and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage are examples of renowned manuals; Warriner's English Grammar and Composition and Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers are just two of many superb handbooks.

The Little Red Writing Book brought home to me the idea of all-roundedness. All of the pocketbooks that I've reviewed to-date are focused on grammar. TLRWB is broad reaching and the book's introduction highlights this:

*Writing has four pillars-structure, style, readability, and grammar-and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair. Structure is really about organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Readability is about presentation, and how to make a document visually pleasing and easy to read. Grammar, including diction, is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form.*

One of my pet peeves with other writing books and writing courses is that they focus on grammar. I believe this has in large part led to the belief that if a person masters grammar, then he or she has mastered writing. I know people who can write technically correct sentences but are still not effective writers. As TLRWB points out, writing is based on macro elements as well. Grammar, including spelling and punctuation, represents only a single leg.

In my assessment, this is the most all-rounded small writing book in the market today. It's "fun" too. I would most highly recommend it to any high school or college student. (I've left my copy at the office to "encourage" a few colleagues to review basic writing fundamentals for themselves.)

Other recommendations. My four favorite grammar/punctuation books include: The Elements of Style (the best of grammar in the shortest period of time), Write Right! (this book's emphasis is on punctuation but in a very distilled manner), The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (excellent for understanding the differences in punctuation between American and British English) and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire (a grammar book built around the eight parts of speech and written with real verve).

I should point out that I've concentrated on non-fiction books in this review. My two favorite "fiction writing" books include Stephen King's On Writing and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist.

P.S. I also judge a book in terms of its memorable lines, and this book has its share. "An airline pilot never leaves the runway without having a destination and flight pattern." (page 13; refers to writing structure); "A valued technique, which can be used when writing rough drafts, is to stress the point you wish to make by placing 'for example' immediately after what you write." (page 38; refers to support techniques); "Unpolished writing is like shifting sand in a desert storm. Eventually the storm ceases and the sand sits still." (page 99; refers to readability and the need to let writing "sit" before being called finished); "It is said that 90 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 99 percent of the time. (page 132; refers to punctuation).

Excellent Writing Reference, 03 Sep 2004
'Avoid needless words,' say Strunk & White in 'The Elements of Style'. Many reference books for writers break this rule immediately. Brandon Royal manages to keep his 'Little Red Writing Book' concise. A handsome hardcover book with illustrations that take away some of the tedium present in plain texts. I heartily recommend it.

A Great Gift for anyone who needs to write well...,, 03 Sep 2004
The perfect gift for students, professionals and anyone who has to write. Not only does this book contain the "good oil" on writing, it is magnificently presented. The book's size, hardcover, illustrations and color make it a writer's reference that begs to be read. Don't let the books title fool you, there is nothing "little" about this writing book! Congratulations to author, Brandon Royal, on a modern look at writing that surely outdoes some of the older texts currently on the market.
Buy youself a present now!

Bravo!, 12 Aug 2004
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But the material inside this book is every bit the equal of its beautiful covering. Bravo. I toast the author and his publisher.

Great Book for Travelers!, 09 Jun 2006
Don't drop a clanger-make a big faux pas-when traveling in the U.K or the U.S.! This book is a terrific read for anyone planning a trip to Britain. Amusing and useful, I would recommend DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE to anyone hoping to "say the right thing" from pubs to politics and television to travel. This book is a gem that will keep you in the know. Cheers!

Amusing, but lightweight, 08 May 2006
This a diverting book, but not really a serious look at the differences between American and British English. Most of the book is simply a series of lists giving British and American expressions side by side. As such it is useful for reference occasionally. But there are no 'vast differences' between the two forms of English. The central core of grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary is the same in both languages, as professional students of language know quite well. There are only a few thousand differences in vocabulary, and in a language with as many words as English that amounts to a small proportion. But the author is not a professional linguist, and if you accept the book as a light-hearted romp that is fine.

Helpful British Travel and Reading Guide for Americans, 06 May 2004
Any American who wants to get past what you can learn about British words and phrases in a dictionary will benefit from this book.

Divided by a Common Language helped me overcome long-term misunderstandings about what I had been reading in English books. Some British words have an ordinary meaning in American English that is quite different from their British meaning. For example, the British "marrow" is a "large zucchini." For decades, I have been expecting to find beef marrow on my plate in England because of that misreading. I also thought that the British "paraffin" meant a petroleum-based wax as it does in the U.S., whereas it means "kerosene" in the U.K. In reading about someone going for paraffin in novels, I have been wondering what on earth they were going to make with all that wax. If you read this book, you will probably find your own examples of where you thought you knew what was going on . . . but really didn't. I suggest that you start with the British/American Lexicon to learn the most words with the least effort.

The book also has a useful section on British and American phrases, that should help you avoid inadvertently saying what will be perceived as vulgarities across the pond. For example, refer to "retrieving and returning baseballs" rather than "shagging flies" (make your own guess as to what that means, but it isn't nice).

In the vein of the potential for humorous miscommunications, there are a number of cartoons that show what John Bull and Uncle Sam are thinking about when the same word or phrase is said. "My wife loves pot plants, Sam" conjures up John Bull thinking about potted flowers while Uncle Sam imagines a garden full of marijuana plants.

I found four weaknesses in the book that you should be aware of. First, the food equivalents aren't really very precise in some cases. So you may get some surprises. A scone and a biscuit are described as the same, which most of us in the U.S. would argue they are not. A burrito is described as meat and salad in a tortilla, while most would agree that it is as likely to have beans and cheese with sauce as it is to have meat and salad. Second, the book mostly focuses on the contemporary British language so it is less helpful than it might be if you are reading older British books. Third, the U.K. words more represent the usages of English people than they do on what you will encounter in Scotland or Wales. Fourth, some U.K. terms described here are actually in common usage (at least in the northeast and in California, the areas I know best) in the United States. "Pins and needles" is the way many Americans would describe the feeling of blood circulation returning to an limb that has gone numb, but is described as a British term here.

I don't feel competent to review how helpful this book would be to a British person, so I will, of necessity, skip that perspective.

The book covers how the languages came to diverge, tips for tourists, detailed information about important daily subjects (cars, telephones, plumbing, electricity, food, shopping, schools, sights, and measurements), etiquette, driving terminology, pronunciation, spelling, "what not to say," idioms and expressions, and a U.K.-U.S. and a U.S.-U.K. lexicon. There's also some information about Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African variations.

Good luck in explaining yourself to those in the U.K.

Indispensable, 19 Sep 2003
When I first picked up this book, I was like a kid in a candy store. All those British mysteries that I had fumbled through trying to pick meaning from context came flooding back to me Finally when Agatha Christie's Miss Blacklock became a chartered accountant, on page 119 it is the equivalent of a CPA
Next my mind wanders as I browsed the pages and could hear Hannibal Lector saying he was going to eat my liver with some, page 32, broad beans. The book is divided in to useful subjects.
Being cautious, I was not going to let author Christopher Davies pull the wool over my eyes; so I had an international admissions officer from the local collage look at the section on British schools. I had to wrench the book back. It had passed scrutiny.
Finally I made the mistake of showing it to my wife. Now I have to sue for custody

Invaluable for Travellers, 05 Nov 2000
I recently came back from a trip to Australia. Not only was this book invaluable for everyday communication, but the section on Australian slang saved me from being totally lost when talking to Aussies. A must for any traveler to a country where British English is spoken. The comprehensive list of word comparisons make this a serious reference book, but the expressions and idioms are what make this book fun to read! Explanations on acronyms such as ZIP code and Amtrak, as well as unraveling the mystery as to why Americans drive on the right and Brits on the left make this a great book for resolving disputes. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen a few more of the humorous illustrations which help to lighten up the book.

Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.



An outstanding work, 05 Oct 2004
The Little Red Writing Book is simply one of the best books published on the topic of writing. Brandon Royal's handy book is perfect for students, professionals, and others who want to improve their writing skills. Royal's text is also an excellent reference guide if you want to brush up on grammatical and style rules that you may have forgotten in the years after your formal education. Overall, the Little Red Writing book is one of the most useful texts I have used for essay writing.

"best small all-rounded writing book in the market", 10 Sep 2004
As somewhat who communicates for a living, I recently purchased The Little Red Writing Book to add to my personal library. Notwithstanding its hard cover, this book clearly reminded me of an earlier soft cover classic, The Elements of Style. I couldn't help reviewing both books while noting their similarities and differences. Here's my take.

The Elements of Style is really a grammar book with a dose of style added. The Little Red Writing Book is foremost a writing skills book with grammar added. Case in point: The Elements of Style devotes half its coverage to "rules of usage" and "words and expressions commonly misused"; it doesn't even address structure, whereas The Little Red Writing Book wastes no time in discussing the "top-down approach to writing" and the "high school five-paragraph approach to writing". In terms of writing style, the essence of The Elements of Style is "cut out unnecessary words", while the gist of The Little Red Writing Book is "be specific, give adequate support for what you say".

The Elements of Style contains no exercises. The Little Red Writing Book does, and this is an indisputable strength of this book, for I know of no other small book that deals with writing and also contains short exercises. I have secretly marveled at writing books that attempt to teach writing without providing exercises. Of course, any handbook of English grammar will contain exercises, but its thickness will prove intimidating for all but the bravest student.

Which brings me to another point. In dividing the world of writing books into manuals, handbooks, and pocketbooks, there certainly exist a number of excellent books in the first two of these categories. The Chicago Manual of Style and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage are examples of renowned manuals; Warriner's English Grammar and Composition and Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers are just two of many superb handbooks.

The Little Red Writing Book brought home to me the idea of all-roundedness. All of the pocketbooks that I've reviewed to-date are focused on grammar. TLRWB is broad reaching and the book's introduction highlights this:

*Writing has four pillars-structure, style, readability, and grammar-and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair. Structure is really about organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Readability is about presentation, and how to make a document visually pleasing and easy to read. Grammar, including diction, is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form.*

One of my pet peeves with other writing books and writing courses is that they focus on grammar. I believe this has in large part led to the belief that if a person masters grammar, then he or she has mastered writing. I know people who can write technically correct sentences but are still not effective writers. As TLRWB points out, writing is based on macro elements as well. Grammar, including spelling and punctuation, represents only a single leg.

In my assessment, this is the most all-rounded small writing book in the market today. It's "fun" too. I would most highly recommend it to any high school or college student. (I've left my copy at the office to "encourage" a few colleagues to review basic writing fundamentals for themselves.)

Other recommendations. My four favorite grammar/punctuation books include: The Elements of Style (the best of grammar in the shortest period of time), Write Right! (this book's emphasis is on punctuation but in a very distilled manner), The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (excellent for understanding the differences in punctuation between American and British English) and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire (a grammar book built around the eight parts of speech and written with real verve).

I should point out that I've concentrated on non-fiction books in this review. My two favorite "fiction writing" books include Stephen King's On Writing and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist.

P.S. I also judge a book in terms of its memorable lines, and this book has its share. "An airline pilot never leaves the runway without having a destination and flight pattern." (page 13; refers to writing structure); "A valued technique, which can be used when writing rough drafts, is to stress the point you wish to make by placing 'for example' immediately after what you write." (page 38; refers to support techniques); "Unpolished writing is like shifting sand in a desert storm. Eventually the storm ceases and the sand sits still." (page 99; refers to readability and the need to let writing "sit" before being called finished); "It is said that 90 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 99 percent of the time. (page 132; refers to punctuation).

Excellent Writing Reference, 03 Sep 2004
'Avoid needless words,' say Strunk & White in 'The Elements of Style'. Many reference books for writers break this rule immediately. Brandon Royal manages to keep his 'Little Red Writing Book' concise. A handsome hardcover book with illustrations that take away some of the tedium present in plain texts. I heartily recommend it.

A Great Gift for anyone who needs to write well...,, 03 Sep 2004
The perfect gift for students, professionals and anyone who has to write. Not only does this book contain the "good oil" on writing, it is magnificently presented. The book's size, hardcover, illustrations and color make it a writer's reference that begs to be read. Don't let the books title fool you, there is nothing "little" about this writing book! Congratulations to author, Brandon Royal, on a modern look at writing that surely outdoes some of the older texts currently on the market.
Buy youself a present now!

Bravo!, 12 Aug 2004
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But the material inside this book is every bit the equal of its beautiful covering. Bravo. I toast the author and his publisher.

Great Book for Travelers!, 09 Jun 2006
Don't drop a clanger-make a big faux pas-when traveling in the U.K or the U.S.! This book is a terrific read for anyone planning a trip to Britain. Amusing and useful, I would recommend DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE to anyone hoping to "say the right thing" from pubs to politics and television to travel. This book is a gem that will keep you in the know. Cheers!

Amusing, but lightweight, 08 May 2006
This a diverting book, but not really a serious look at the differences between American and British English. Most of the book is simply a series of lists giving British and American expressions side by side. As such it is useful for reference occasionally. But there are no 'vast differences' between the two forms of English. The central core of grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary is the same in both languages, as professional students of language know quite well. There are only a few thousand differences in vocabulary, and in a language with as many words as English that amounts to a small proportion. But the author is not a professional linguist, and if you accept the book as a light-hearted romp that is fine.

Helpful British Travel and Reading Guide for Americans, 06 May 2004
Any American who wants to get past what you can learn about British words and phrases in a dictionary will benefit from this book.

Divided by a Common Language helped me overcome long-term misunderstandings about what I had been reading in English books. Some British words have an ordinary meaning in American English that is quite different from their British meaning. For example, the British "marrow" is a "large zucchini." For decades, I have been expecting to find beef marrow on my plate in England because of that misreading. I also thought that the British "paraffin" meant a petroleum-based wax as it does in the U.S., whereas it means "kerosene" in the U.K. In reading about someone going for paraffin in novels, I have been wondering what on earth they were going to make with all that wax. If you read this book, you will probably find your own examples of where you thought you knew what was going on . . . but really didn't. I suggest that you start with the British/American Lexicon to learn the most words with the least effort.

The book also has a useful section on British and American phrases, that should help you avoid inadvertently saying what will be perceived as vulgarities across the pond. For example, refer to "retrieving and returning baseballs" rather than "shagging flies" (make your own guess as to what that means, but it isn't nice).

In the vein of the potential for humorous miscommunications, there are a number of cartoons that show what John Bull and Uncle Sam are thinking about when the same word or phrase is said. "My wife loves pot plants, Sam" conjures up John Bull thinking about potted flowers while Uncle Sam imagines a garden full of marijuana plants.

I found four weaknesses in the book that you should be aware of. First, the food equivalents aren't really very precise in some cases. So you may get some surprises. A scone and a biscuit are described as the same, which most of us in the U.S. would argue they are not. A burrito is described as meat and salad in a tortilla, while most would agree that it is as likely to have beans and cheese with sauce as it is to have meat and salad. Second, the book mostly focuses on the contemporary British language so it is less helpful than it might be if you are reading older British books. Third, the U.K. words more represent the usages of English people than they do on what you will encounter in Scotland or Wales. Fourth, some U.K. terms described here are actually in common usage (at least in the northeast and in California, the areas I know best) in the United States. "Pins and needles" is the way many Americans would describe the feeling of blood circulation returning to an limb that has gone numb, but is described as a British term here.

I don't feel competent to review how helpful this book would be to a British person, so I will, of necessity, skip that perspective.

The book covers how the languages came to diverge, tips for tourists, detailed information about important daily subjects (cars, telephones, plumbing, electricity, food, shopping, schools, sights, and measurements), etiquette, driving terminology, pronunciation, spelling, "what not to say," idioms and expressions, and a U.K.-U.S. and a U.S.-U.K. lexicon. There's also some information about Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African variations.

Good luck in explaining yourself to those in the U.K.

Indispensable, 19 Sep 2003
When I first picked up this book, I was like a kid in a candy store. All those British mysteries that I had fumbled through trying to pick meaning from context came flooding back to me Finally when Agatha Christie's Miss Blacklock became a chartered accountant, on page 119 it is the equivalent of a CPA
Next my mind wanders as I browsed the pages and could hear Hannibal Lector saying he was going to eat my liver with some, page 32, broad beans. The book is divided in to useful subjects.
Being cautious, I was not going to let author Christopher Davies pull the wool over my eyes; so I had an international admissions officer from the local collage look at the section on British schools. I had to wrench the book back. It had passed scrutiny.
Finally I made the mistake of showing it to my wife. Now I have to sue for custody

Invaluable for Travellers, 05 Nov 2000
I recently came back from a trip to Australia. Not only was this book invaluable for everyday communication, but the section on Australian slang saved me from being totally lost when talking to Aussies. A must for any traveler to a country where British English is spoken. The comprehensive list of word comparisons make this a serious reference book, but the expressions and idioms are what make this book fun to read! Explanations on acronyms such as ZIP code and Amtrak, as well as unraveling the mystery as to why Americans drive on the right and Brits on the left make this a great book for resolving disputes. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen a few more of the humorous illustrations which help to lighten up the book.

Good book but definitely for academics, 09 Apr 2002
This book is good. Hughes knows his stuff. This book goes right back to the beginning of time and deeply analyses all documents that survive. Sometimes it went a bit too deep for me which led me to think this is more of a book for students/academics of English rather than the layman. To be honest I have only dipped in and out of the book as the analyses did get very heavy and boring sometimes. The parts I have read are very interesting nonetheless and it is good to see someone treating swear words as ordinary words. I would recommend this book overall.

Oxford University Press is known for thinking in long time spans (the first edition of the OED took 50 years). Even so, the genesis of The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable seems rather leisurely: the idea was first mooted in 1927, the book finally published in the year 2000. Perhaps this was partly because the famous Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, around since 1870, had something of a grip on that part of the market. Oxford's answer to Brewer's has taken care to be a bit bigger than its rival--it boasts 20,000 entries, rather than Brewer's 18,500. Like its rival it deals with an extraordinary hot-potch of phrases, expressions and allusions that you might struggle to find in an ordinary dictionary; as the editor puts it, "words, names and phrases with cultural resonance: items from history and religion, mythology, biography, folk customs and superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture." The last of these includes such late 90s favourites as "Blair Babes" and "Frankenfood"--"a derogatory term for food derived from genetically modified produce, a shortening of Frankenstein food; the word is recorded from 1992 ..." explains our text, in its rather formal style, going on to give an example of early usage. A somewhat strait-laced guide it may be, but it can tell you about almost anything. Philosophers, scientists and kings, places and buildings you might find mentioned in literary works, imaginary beasts and famous sayings--they are here in vast numbers. The little Latin phrases that baffle those without a classical education? This book will introduce you to obscurities such as ductus litterarum or aquila non captat muscas, although it doesn't stoop to entries for such relatively common terms as a priori and a posteriori. Where it can't give you a definitive answer, it presents several options--two possible origins for the phrase "send to Coventry", for example, or three for "raining cats and dogs." It's a wonderful ramble through many different worlds of words, and for anyone who loves the English language and its literature, a stroll through this dictionary will necessarily be punctuated by endless curious halts as yet another mystery is explained. --David Pickering

Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.



An outstanding work, 05 Oct 2004
The Little Red Writing Book is simply one of the best books published on the topic of writing. Brandon Royal's handy book is perfect for students, professionals, and others who want to improve their writing skills. Royal's text is also an excellent reference guide if you want to brush up on grammatical and style rules that you may have forgotten in the years after your formal education. Overall, the Little Red Writing book is one of the most useful texts I have used for essay writing.

"best small all-rounded writing book in the market", 10 Sep 2004
As somewhat who communicates for a living, I recently purchased The Little Red Writing Book to add to my personal library. Notwithstanding its hard cover, this book clearly reminded me of an earlier soft cover classic, The Elements of Style. I couldn't help reviewing both books while noting their similarities and differences. Here's my take.

The Elements of Style is really a grammar book with a dose of style added. The Little Red Writing Book is foremost a writing skills book with grammar added. Case in point: The Elements of Style devotes half its coverage to "rules of usage" and "words and expressions commonly misused"; it doesn't even address structure, whereas The Little Red Writing Book wastes no time in discussing the "top-down approach to writing" and the "high school five-paragraph approach to writing". In terms of writing style, the essence of The Elements of Style is "cut out unnecessary words", while the gist of The Little Red Writing Book is "be specific, give adequate support for what you say".

The Elements of Style contains no exercises. The Little Red Writing Book does, and this is an indisputable strength of this book, for I know of no other small book that deals with writing and also contains short exercises. I have secretly marveled at writing books that attempt to teach writing without providing exercises. Of course, any handbook of English grammar will contain exercises, but its thickness will prove intimidating for all but the bravest student.

Which brings me to another point. In dividing the world of writing books into manuals, handbooks, and pocketbooks, there certainly exist a number of excellent books in the first two of these categories. The Chicago Manual of Style and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage are examples of renowned manuals; Warriner's English Grammar and Composition and Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers are just two of many superb handbooks.

The Little Red Writing Book brought home to me the idea of all-roundedness. All of the pocketbooks that I've reviewed to-date are focused on grammar. TLRWB is broad reaching and the book's introduction highlights this:

*Writing has four pillars-structure, style, readability, and grammar-and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair. Structure is really about organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Readability is about presentation, and how to make a document visually pleasing and easy to read. Grammar, including diction, is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form.*

One of my pet peeves with other writing books and writing courses is that they focus on grammar. I believe this has in large part led to the belief that if a person masters grammar, then he or she has mastered writing. I know people who can write technically correct sentences but are still not effective writers. As TLRWB points out, writing is based on macro elements as well. Grammar, including spelling and punctuation, represents only a single leg.

In my assessment, this is the most all-rounded small writing book in the market today. It's "fun" too. I would most highly recommend it to any high school or college student. (I've left my copy at the office to "encourage" a few colleagues to review basic writing fundamentals for themselves.)

Other recommendations. My four favorite grammar/punctuation books include: The Elements of Style (the best of grammar in the shortest period of time), Write Right! (this book's emphasis is on punctuation but in a very distilled manner), The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (excellent for understanding the differences in punctuation between American and British English) and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire (a grammar book built around the eight parts of speech and written with real verve).

I should point out that I've concentrated on non-fiction books in this review. My two favorite "fiction writing" books include Stephen King's On Writing and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist.

P.S. I also judge a book in terms of its memorable lines, and this book has its share. "An airline pilot never leaves the runway without having a destination and flight pattern." (page 13; refers to writing structure); "A valued technique, which can be used when writing rough drafts, is to stress the point you wish to make by placing 'for example' immediately after what you write." (page 38; refers to support techniques); "Unpolished writing is like shifting sand in a desert storm. Eventually the storm ceases and the sand sits still." (page 99; refers to readability and the need to let writing "sit" before being called finished); "It is said that 90 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 99 percent of the time. (page 132; refers to punctuation).

Excellent Writing Reference, 03 Sep 2004
'Avoid needless words,' say Strunk & White in 'The Elements of Style'. Many reference books for writers break this rule immediately. Brandon Royal manages to keep his 'Little Red Writing Book' concise. A handsome hardcover book with illustrations that take away some of the tedium present in plain texts. I heartily recommend it.

A Great Gift for anyone who needs to write well...,, 03 Sep 2004
The perfect gift for students, professionals and anyone who has to write. Not only does this book contain the "good oil" on writing, it is magnificently presented. The book's size, hardcover, illustrations and color make it a writer's reference that begs to be read. Don't let the books title fool you, there is nothing "little" about this writing book! Congratulations to author, Brandon Royal, on a modern look at writing that surely outdoes some of the older texts currently on the market.
Buy youself a present now!

Bravo!, 12 Aug 2004
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But the material inside this book is every bit the equal of its beautiful covering. Bravo. I toast the author and his publisher.

Great Book for Travelers!, 09 Jun 2006
Don't drop a clanger-make a big faux pas-when traveling in the U.K or the U.S.! This book is a terrific read for anyone planning a trip to Britain. Amusing and useful, I would recommend DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE to anyone hoping to "say the right thing" from pubs to politics and television to travel. This book is a gem that will keep you in the know. Cheers!

Amusing, but lightweight, 08 May 2006
This a diverting book, but not really a serious look at the differences between American and British English. Most of the book is simply a series of lists giving British and American expressions side by side. As such it is useful for reference occasionally. But there are no 'vast differences' between the two forms of English. The central core of grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary is the same in both languages, as professional students of language know quite well. There are only a few thousand differences in vocabulary, and in a language with as many words as English that amounts to a small proportion. But the author is not a professional linguist, and if you accept the book as a light-hearted romp that is fine.

Helpful British Travel and Reading Guide for Americans, 06 May 2004
Any American who wants to get past what you can learn about British words and phrases in a dictionary will benefit from this book.

Divided by a Common Language helped me overcome long-term misunderstandings about what I had been reading in English books. Some British words have an ordinary meaning in American English that is quite different from their British meaning. For example, the British "marrow" is a "large zucchini." For decades, I have been expecting to find beef marrow on my plate in England because of that misreading. I also thought that the British "paraffin" meant a petroleum-based wax as it does in the U.S., whereas it means "kerosene" in the U.K. In reading about someone going for paraffin in novels, I have been wondering what on earth they were going to make with all that wax. If you read this book, you will probably find your own examples of where you thought you knew what was going on . . . but really didn't. I suggest that you start with the British/American Lexicon to learn the most words with the least effort.

The book also has a useful section on British and American phrases, that should help you avoid inadvertently saying what will be perceived as vulgarities across the pond. For example, refer to "retrieving and returning baseballs" rather than "shagging flies" (make your own guess as to what that means, but it isn't nice).

In the vein of the potential for humorous miscommunications, there are a number of cartoons that show what John Bull and Uncle Sam are thinking about when the same word or phrase is said. "My wife loves pot plants, Sam" conjures up John Bull thinking about potted flowers while Uncle Sam imagines a garden full of marijuana plants.

I found four weaknesses in the book that you should be aware of. First, the food equivalents aren't really very precise in some cases. So you may get some surprises. A scone and a biscuit are described as the same, which most of us in the U.S. would argue they are not. A burrito is described as meat and salad in a tortilla, while most would agree that it is as likely to have beans and cheese with sauce as it is to have meat and salad. Second, the book mostly focuses on the contemporary British language so it is less helpful than it might be if you are reading older British books. Third, the U.K. words more represent the usages of English people than they do on what you will encounter in Scotland or Wales. Fourth, some U.K. terms described here are actually in common usage (at least in the northeast and in California, the areas I know best) in the United States. "Pins and needles" is the way many Americans would describe the feeling of blood circulation returning to an limb that has gone numb, but is described as a British term here.

I don't feel competent to review how helpful this book would be to a British person, so I will, of necessity, skip that perspective.

The book covers how the languages came to diverge, tips for tourists, detailed information about important daily subjects (cars, telephones, plumbing, electricity, food, shopping, schools, sights, and measurements), etiquette, driving terminology, pronunciation, spelling, "what not to say," idioms and expressions, and a U.K.-U.S. and a U.S.-U.K. lexicon. There's also some information about Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African variations.

Good luck in explaining yourself to those in the U.K.

Indispensable, 19 Sep 2003
When I first picked up this book, I was like a kid in a candy store. All those British mysteries that I had fumbled through trying to pick meaning from context came flooding back to me Finally when Agatha Christie's Miss Blacklock became a chartered accountant, on page 119 it is the equivalent of a CPA
Next my mind wanders as I browsed the pages and could hear Hannibal Lector saying he was going to eat my liver with some, page 32, broad beans. The book is divided in to useful subjects.
Being cautious, I was not going to let author Christopher Davies pull the wool over my eyes; so I had an international admissions officer from the local collage look at the section on British schools. I had to wrench the book back. It had passed scrutiny.
Finally I made the mistake of showing it to my wife. Now I have to sue for custody

Invaluable for Travellers, 05 Nov 2000
I recently came back from a trip to Australia. Not only was this book invaluable for everyday communication, but the section on Australian slang saved me from being totally lost when talking to Aussies. A must for any traveler to a country where British English is spoken. The comprehensive list of word comparisons make this a serious reference book, but the expressions and idioms are what make this book fun to read! Explanations on acronyms such as ZIP code and Amtrak, as well as unraveling the mystery as to why Americans drive on the right and Brits on the left make this a great book for resolving disputes. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen a few more of the humorous illustrations which help to lighten up the book.

Good book but definitely for academics, 09 Apr 2002
This book is good. Hughes knows his stuff. This book goes right back to the beginning of time and deeply analyses all documents that survive. Sometimes it went a bit too deep for me which led me to think this is more of a book for students/academics of English rather than the layman. To be honest I have only dipped in and out of the book as the analyses did get very heavy and boring sometimes. The parts I have read are very interesting nonetheless and it is good to see someone treating swear words as ordinary words. I would recommend this book overall.

Title misnomer!, 28 Sep 2003
A disappointing reference book as its title bears little resemblence to its contents!

As a dictionary of "Phrase and Fable" I expected rather more in the way of phrases. The first three pages only explain four!

The remaining entries explain such words as "abbot" and "abolitionists".

Dictionary? Yes! Of "Phrase and Fable"? Definitely not!

I recommend you glance at a copy before parting with your cash as, like me, you may not be getting what you bargained for.

Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.



An outstanding work, 05 Oct 2004
The Little Red Writing Book is simply one of the best books published on the topic of writing. Brandon Royal's handy book is perfect for students, professionals, and others who want to improve their writing skills. Royal's text is also an excellent reference guide if you want to brush up on grammatical and style rules that you may have forgotten in the years after your formal education. Overall, the Little Red Writing book is one of the most useful texts I have used for essay writing.

"best small all-rounded writing book in the market", 10 Sep 2004
As somewhat who communicates for a living, I recently purchased The Little Red Writing Book to add to my personal library. Notwithstanding its hard cover, this book clearly reminded me of an earlier soft cover classic, The Elements of Style. I couldn't help reviewing both books while noting their similarities and differences. Here's my take.

The Elements of Style is really a grammar book with a dose of style added. The Little Red Writing Book is foremost a writing skills book with grammar added. Case in point: The Elements of Style devotes half its coverage to "rules of usage" and "words and expressions commonly misused"; it doesn't even address structure, whereas The Little Red Writing Book wastes no time in discussing the "top-down approach to writing" and the "high school five-paragraph approach to writing". In terms of writing style, the essence of The Elements of Style is "cut out unnecessary words", while the gist of The Little Red Writing Book is "be specific, give adequate support for what you say".

The Elements of Style contains no exercises. The Little Red Writing Book does, and this is an indisputable strength of this book, for I know of no other small book that deals with writing and also contains short exercises. I have secretly marveled at writing books that attempt to teach writing without providing exercises. Of course, any handbook of English grammar will contain exercises, but its thickness will prove intimidating for all but the bravest student.

Which brings me to another point. In dividing the world of writing books into manuals, handbooks, and pocketbooks, there certainly exist a number of excellent books in the first two of these categories. The Chicago Manual of Style and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage are examples of renowned manuals; Warriner's English Grammar and Composition and Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers are just two of many superb handbooks.

The Little Red Writing Book brought home to me the idea of all-roundedness. All of the pocketbooks that I've reviewed to-date are focused on grammar. TLRWB is broad reaching and the book's introduction highlights this:

*Writing has four pillars-structure, style, readability, and grammar-and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair. Structure is really about organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Readability is about presentation, and how to make a document visually pleasing and easy to read. Grammar, including diction, is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form.*

One of my pet peeves with other writing books and writing courses is that they focus on grammar. I believe this has in large part led to the belief that if a person masters grammar, then he or she has mastered writing. I know people who can write technically correct sentences but are still not effective writers. As TLRWB points out, writing is based on macro elements as well. Grammar, including spelling and punctuation, represents only a single leg.

In my assessment, this is the most all-rounded small writing book in the market today. It's "fun" too. I would most highly recommend it to any high school or college student. (I've left my copy at the office to "encourage" a few colleagues to review basic writing fundamentals for themselves.)

Other recommendations. My four favorite grammar/punctuation books include: The Elements of Style (the best of grammar in the shortest period of time), Write Right! (this book's emphasis is on punctuation but in a very distilled manner), The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (excellent for understanding the differences in punctuation between American and British English) and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire (a grammar book built around the eight parts of speech and written with real verve).

I should point out that I've concentrated on non-fiction books in this review. My two favorite "fiction writing" books include Stephen King's On Writing and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist.

P.S. I also judge a book in terms of its memorable lines, and this book has its share. "An airline pilot never leaves the runway without having a destination and flight pattern." (page 13; refers to writing structure); "A valued technique, which can be used when writing rough drafts, is to stress the point you wish to make by placing 'for example' immediately after what you write." (page 38; refers to support techniques); "Unpolished writing is like shifting sand in a desert storm. Eventually the storm ceases and the sand sits still." (page 99; refers to readability and the need to let writing "sit" before being called finished); "It is said that 90 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 99 percent of the time. (page 132; refers to punctuation).

Excellent Writing Reference, 03 Sep 2004
'Avoid needless words,' say Strunk & White in 'The Elements of Style'. Many reference books for writers break this rule immediately. Brandon Royal manages to keep his 'Little Red Writing Book' concise. A handsome hardcover book with illustrations that take away some of the tedium present in plain texts. I heartily recommend it.

A Great Gift for anyone who needs to write well...,, 03 Sep 2004
The perfect gift for students, professionals and anyone who has to write. Not only does this book contain the "good oil" on writing, it is magnificently presented. The book's size, hardcover, illustrations and color make it a writer's reference that begs to be read. Don't let the books title fool you, there is nothing "little" about this writing book! Congratulations to author, Brandon Royal, on a modern look at writing that surely outdoes some of the older texts currently on the market.
Buy youself a present now!

Bravo!, 12 Aug 2004
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But the material inside this book is every bit the equal of its beautiful covering. Bravo. I toast the author and his publisher.

Great Book for Travelers!, 09 Jun 2006
Don't drop a clanger-make a big faux pas-when traveling in the U.K or the U.S.! This book is a terrific read for anyone planning a trip to Britain. Amusing and useful, I would recommend DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE to anyone hoping to "say the right thing" from pubs to politics and television to travel. This book is a gem that will keep you in the know. Cheers!

Amusing, but lightweight, 08 May 2006
This a diverting book, but not really a serious look at the differences between American and British English. Most of the book is simply a series of lists giving British and American expressions side by side. As such it is useful for reference occasionally. But there are no 'vast differences' between the two forms of English. The central core of grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary is the same in both languages, as professional students of language know quite well. There are only a few thousand differences in vocabulary, and in a language with as many words as English that amounts to a small proportion. But the author is not a professional linguist, and if you accept the book as a light-hearted romp that is fine.

Helpful British Travel and Reading Guide for Americans, 06 May 2004
Any American who wants to get past what you can learn about British words and phrases in a dictionary will benefit from this book.

Divided by a Common Language helped me overcome long-term misunderstandings about what I had been reading in English books. Some British words have an ordinary meaning in American English that is quite different from their British meaning. For example, the British "marrow" is a "large zucchini." For decades, I have been expecting to find beef marrow on my plate in England because of that misreading. I also thought that the British "paraffin" meant a petroleum-based wax as it does in the U.S., whereas it means "kerosene" in the U.K. In reading about someone going for paraffin in novels, I have been wondering what on earth they were going to make with all that wax. If you read this book, you will probably find your own examples of where you thought you knew what was going on . . . but really didn't. I suggest that you start with the British/American Lexicon to learn the most words with the least effort.

The book also has a useful section on British and American phrases, that should help you avoid inadvertently saying what will be perceived as vulgarities across the pond. For example, refer to "retrieving and returning baseballs" rather than "shagging flies" (make your own guess as to what that means, but it isn't nice).

In the vein of the potential for humorous miscommunications, there are a number of cartoons that show what John Bull and Uncle Sam are thinking about when the same word or phrase is said. "My wife loves pot plants, Sam" conjures up John Bull thinking about potted flowers while Uncle Sam imagines a garden full of marijuana plants.

I found four weaknesses in the book that you should be aware of. First, the food equivalents aren't really very precise in some cases. So you may get some surprises. A scone and a biscuit are described as the same, which most of us in the U.S. would argue they are not. A burrito is described as meat and salad in a tortilla, while most would agree that it is as likely to have beans and cheese with sauce as it is to have meat and salad. Second, the book mostly focuses on the contemporary British language so it is less helpful than it might be if you are reading older British books. Third, the U.K. words more represent the usages of English people than they do on what you will encounter in Scotland or Wales. Fourth, some U.K. terms described here are actually in common usage (at least in the northeast and in California, the areas I know best) in the United States. "Pins and needles" is the way many Americans would describe the feeling of blood circulation returning to an limb that has gone numb, but is described as a British term here.

I don't feel competent to review how helpful this book would be to a British person, so I will, of necessity, skip that perspective.

The book covers how the languages came to diverge, tips for tourists, detailed information about important daily subjects (cars, telephones, plumbing, electricity, food, shopping, schools, sights, and measurements), etiquette, driving terminology, pronunciation, spelling, "what not to say," idioms and expressions, and a U.K.-U.S. and a U.S.-U.K. lexicon. There's also some information about Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African variations.

Good luck in explaining yourself to those in the U.K.

Indispensable, 19 Sep 2003
When I first picked up this book, I was like a kid in a candy store. All those British mysteries that I had fumbled through trying to pick meaning from context came flooding back to me Finally when Agatha Christie's Miss Blacklock became a chartered accountant, on page 119 it is the equivalent of a CPA
Next my mind wanders as I browsed the pages and could hear Hannibal Lector saying he was going to eat my liver with some, page 32, broad beans. The book is divided in to useful subjects.
Being cautious, I was not going to let author Christopher Davies pull the wool over my eyes; so I had an international admissions officer from the local collage look at the section on British schools. I had to wrench the book back. It had passed scrutiny.
Finally I made the mistake of showing it to my wife. Now I have to sue for custody

Invaluable for Travellers, 05 Nov 2000
I recently came back from a trip to Australia. Not only was this book invaluable for everyday communication, but the section on Australian slang saved me from being totally lost when talking to Aussies. A must for any traveler to a country where British English is spoken. The comprehensive list of word comparisons make this a serious reference book, but the expressions and idioms are what make this book fun to read! Explanations on acronyms such as ZIP code and Amtrak, as well as unraveling the mystery as to why Americans drive on the right and Brits on the left make this a great book for resolving disputes. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen a few more of the humorous illustrations which help to lighten up the book.

Good book but definitely for academics, 09 Apr 2002
This book is good. Hughes knows his stuff. This book goes right back to the beginning of time and deeply analyses all documents that survive. Sometimes it went a bit too deep for me which led me to think this is more of a book for students/academics of English rather than the layman. To be honest I have only dipped in and out of the book as the analyses did get very heavy and boring sometimes. The parts I have read are very interesting nonetheless and it is good to see someone treating swear words as ordinary words. I would recommend this book overall.

Title misnomer!, 28 Sep 2003
A disappointing reference book as its title bears little resemblence to its contents!

As a dictionary of "Phrase and Fable" I expected rather more in the way of phrases. The first three pages only explain four!

The remaining entries explain such words as "abbot" and "abolitionists".

Dictionary? Yes! Of "Phrase and Fable"? Definitely not!

I recommend you glance at a copy before parting with your cash as, like me, you may not be getting what you bargained for.

proofreading plain and simple, 23 Jun 2005
Although a great book full of information for those learning or updating their proofreading skills, it is perhaps more suited to a non uk market in that the proofreading signs are slightly differant which initially i found confusing, other than that worth a read.

Poor Reference - Plain and Simple, 13 Feb 2004
If you are embarking on a career in proofreading in the UK, don’t buy this book. From a professional proofreadinq point of view, the structure of the book is both clumsy and patronising, the text seemingly being aimed at American middle managers who, having lost their secretaries, now have to do their own admin work. Additionally, as the book is American, the proofreadinq marks are not based on the British Standards so will be of no use in the UK. One particularly useless piece of advice is to kick a tree to free your mind from distraction (or 'internal noise' as the author calls it).
Unless US style self-help titles are your thing, this book probably isn't for you. Oh, and I found uncorrected errors in it!

Excellent concise guide to proofreading., 20 Jun 1998
A well-organized and concise reference for those who need to proofread written material. Excellent reminders for those who are experienced in proofreading, pointing out the pitfalls of proofreading one's own work (and even recommending graceful ways to proofread friends' and coworkers' materials). Good review of the basics of editing, appropriate use of proofreader's marks, and many excellent recommendation and reminders about the objectives and goals of proofreading. Should be part of your professional library.

Excellent over-view of stylistics, 12 Jul 2008
Although Mick Short is sometimes prone to stating the obvious (did we really need an illustration of two chairs to illustrate deixis? I think most people know the difference between 'that' chair and 'this' chair depends upon where they are..) this is otherwise an excellent book about stylistic analysis, with useful exercises, and checklists to help with carrying out one's own analyses.



An outstanding work, 05 Oct 2004
The Little Red Writing Book is simply one of the best books published on the topic of writing. Brandon Royal's handy book is perfect for students, professionals, and others who want to improve their writing skills. Royal's text is also an excellent reference guide if you want to brush up on grammatical and style rules that you may have forgotten in the years after your formal education. Overall, the Little Red Writing book is one of the most useful texts I have used for essay writing.

"best small all-rounded writing book in the market", 10 Sep 2004
As somewhat who communicates for a living, I recently purchased The Little Red Writing Book to add to my personal library. Notwithstanding its hard cover, this book clearly reminded me of an earlier soft cover classic, The Elements of Style. I couldn't help reviewing both books while noting their similarities and differences. Here's my take.

The Elements of Style is really a grammar book with a dose of style added. The Little Red Writing Book is foremost a writing skills book with grammar added. Case in point: The Elements of Style devotes half its coverage to "rules of usage" and "words and expressions commonly misused"; it doesn't even address structure, whereas The Little Red Writing Book wastes no time in discussing the "top-down approach to writing" and the "high school five-paragraph approach to writing". In terms of writing style, the essence of The Elements of Style is "cut out unnecessary words", while the gist of The Little Red Writing Book is "be specific, give adequate support for what you say".

The Elements of Style contains no exercises. The Little Red Writing Book does, and this is an indisputable strength of this book, for I know of no other small book that deals with writing and also contains short exercises. I have secretly marveled at writing books that attempt to teach writing without providing exercises. Of course, any handbook of English grammar will contain exercises, but its thickness will prove intimidating for all but the bravest student.

Which brings me to another point. In dividing the world of writing books into manuals, handbooks, and pocketbooks, there certainly exist a number of excellent books in the first two of these categories. The Chicago Manual of Style and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage are examples of renowned manuals; Warriner's English Grammar and Composition and Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers are just two of many superb handbooks.

The Little Red Writing Book brought home to me the idea of all-roundedness. All of the pocketbooks that I've reviewed to-date are focused on grammar. TLRWB is broad reaching and the book's introduction highlights this:

*Writing has four pillars-structure, style, readability, and grammar-and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair. Structure is really about organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Readability is about presentation, and how to make a document visually pleasing and easy to read. Grammar, including diction, is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form.*

One of my pet peeves with other writing books and writing courses is that they focus on grammar. I believe this has in large part led to the belief that if a person masters grammar, then he or she has mastered writing. I know people who can write technically correct sentences but are still not effective writers. As TLRWB points out, writing is based on macro elements as well. Grammar, including spelling and punctuation, represents only a single leg.

In my assessment, this is the most all-rounded small writing book in the market today. It's "fun" too. I would most highly recommend it to any high school or college student. (I've left my copy at the office to "encourage" a few colleagues to review basic writing fundamentals for themselves.)

Other recommendations. My four favorite grammar/punctuation books include: The Elements of Style (the best of grammar in the shortest period of time), Write Right! (this book's emphasis is on punctuation but in a very distilled manner), The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (excellent for understanding the differences in punctuation between American and British English) and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire (a grammar book built around the eight parts of speech and written with real verve).

I should point out that I've concentrated on non-fiction books in this review. My two favorite "fiction writing" books include Stephen King's On Writing and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist.

P.S. I also judge a book in terms of its memorable lines, and this book has its share. "An airline pilot never leaves the runway without having a destination and flight pattern." (page 13; refers to writing structure); "A valued technique, which can be used when writing rough drafts, is to stress the point you wish to make by placing 'for example' immediately after what you write." (page 38; refers to support techniques); "Unpolished writing is like shifting sand in a desert storm. Eventually the storm ceases and the sand sits still." (page 99; refers to readability and the need to let writing "sit" before being called finished); "It is said that 90 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1 percent of writers can use the comma correctly 99 percent of the time. (page 132; refers to punctuation).

Excellent Writing Reference, 03 Sep 2004
'Avoid needless words,' say Strunk & White in 'The Elements of Style'. Many reference books for writers break this rule immediately. Brandon Royal manages to keep his 'Little Red Writing Book' concise. A handsome hardcover book with illustrations that take away some of the tedium present in plain texts. I heartily recommend it.

A Great Gift for anyone who needs to write well...,, 03 Sep 2004
The perfect gift for students, professionals and anyone who has to write. Not only does this book contain the "good oil" on writing, it is magnificently presented. The book's size, hardcover, illustrations and color make it a writer's reference that begs to be read. Don't let the books title fool you, there is nothing "little" about this writing book! Congratulations to author, Brandon Royal, on a modern look at writing that surely outdoes some of the older texts currently on the market.
Buy youself a present now!

Bravo!, 12 Aug 2004
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But the material inside this book is every bit the equal of its beautiful covering. Bravo. I toast the author and his publisher.

Great Book for Travelers!, 09 Jun 2006
Don't drop a clanger-make a big faux pas-when traveling in the U.K or the U.S.! This book is a terrific read for anyone planning a trip to Britain. Amusing and useful, I would recommend DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE to anyone hoping to "say the right thing" from pubs to politics and television to travel. This book is a gem that will keep you in the know. Cheers!

Amusing, but lightweight, 08 May 2006
This a diverting book, but not really a serious look at the differences between American and British English. Most of the book is simply a series of lists giving British and American expressions side by side. As such it is useful for reference occasionally. But there are no 'vast differences' between the two forms of English. The central core of grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary is the same in