`Robinson has been very successful in attaining his main aim, viz. to compile an accessible book for beginners on the earliest Germanic languages with texts, grammar and background information - a remarkable achievement, in my view.'

• Abbreviations; Section 1 THE GERMANIC LANGUAGE FAMILY; Section 2 GERMANIC: A GRAMMATICAL SKETCH; Section 3 GOTHIC; Section 4 OLD NORSE; Section 5 OLD SAXON; Section 6 OLD ENGLISH; Section 7 OLD FRISIAN; Section 8 OLD LOW FRANCONIAN; Section 9 OLD HIGH GERMAN; Section 10 THE GROUPING OF THE GERMANIC LANGUAGES; Appendix: Translations of Readings; REFERENCE MATTER; index;