Includes bibliographical references (pages [181]-196) and index.

Introduction: disciplines, perspectives, debates, and overview. How different disciplines tell the history of English ; An introduction to language history ; Debates about modern history ; Overview -- The language of the British Isles. Invaders ; Modern English ; English in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland ; Conclusion -- The language of North America. Colonial beginnings ; Expansion and assimilation ; Persistence of other languages and bilingualism -- English in Imperial Asia and Africa. British colonies in Asia ; British colonies in Africa ; American colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific -- Cultural worlds. International relations ; Scientific English ; Business English ; Global English literature ; Popular culture: rap and Mac -- Tipping points. The world wide web ; Soviet disintegration ; China tips Asia ; The global academic language ; Conclusion.

"While there have been many books on the history of globalization to date, most have stressed economics and politics. Cultural globalization, of which the emergence of English as the world's first global language is a prime example, has been comparatively neglected. In this book, the first written about the globalization of the English language by a professional historian, the exploration of English's global ascendancy receives its proper historical due. Historians have traditionally left the history of language to linguists and other language specialists, and this brief, accessible volume breaks new ground in its organization, emphasis on causation, and conclusions."--Publisher's website.