Bloomsbury Grammar Guide, 2nd ed.

I don't know if Antisthenes the Sophist is the earliest authority quoted in this pocket‐sized Bloomsbury Guide, but his quip that “The investigation of words is the beginning of education” is no bad starter. The numerous other quotes which introduce the various chapters are equally enjoyable and show the reader to be in the hands of a wise and cultured guide.

The first edition of this Guide was published in 1993 and was written for “the average reader”. In the intervening 14 years, author Gordon Jarvie has clearly been disturbed by the “decline in the ability of students to construct...