The King’s English is Kingsley Amis’s authoritative and witty guide to the use and abuse of the English language. A scourge of illiteracy and a thorn in the side of pretension, Amis provides indispensable advice about the linguistic blunders and barbarities that lie in wait for us, from danglers, four-letter words to jargon and even Welsh rarebit. If you have ever wondered whether it’s acceptable to start a sentence with ‘and’, to boldly split an infinitive, or to cross your sevens in the French style, Amis has the answer – or a trenchant opinion. By turns reflective, acerbic and provocative, The King’s English is for anyone who cares about how the English language is used.
With a new introduction by Kingsley Amis’s son, the novelist Martin Amis.