Robert McCrum, coauthor of the best-selling book and television series The Story of English, shows how the language of the Anglo-American imperium has become the world's lingua franca--From vendor description.

Founders. In the beginning: four invasions and a cultural revolution ; Defeat into victory: the DNA of self-expression ; 'Lighte Englisshe': medieval mass communications ; Eating paper, drinking ink: Shakespeare & Co. -- Pioneers. 'A whole country of English' : re-inventing freedom and originality ; 'Common hopes and common dreams' : lighting out for the territory ; 'The audacity of hope' : from slavery to redemption -- Popularisers. Rule, Britannia! : how England became British ; East, in a western voice : the People's Empire ; 'At the top of the world' : the imperial swan song -- Modernisers. 'A willingness of the heart' : the American century I ; 'The unity of the English-speaking people' : the American century II ; 'The world at your fingertips' : from Google to globish, 1989-2009 -- Globalisers. One world, one dream : 'conquer English to make China strong' ; 'Virtually running America' : India, the Far East, and beyond.