Julian Sharman's *A Cursory History of Swearing* offers an engaging historical survey of profane and obscene language, tracing how oaths, curses, and vulgar expressions have functioned in English-speaking culture. Its subject is treated not merely as an inventory of forbidden words, but as a study of social custom, religious feeling, linguistic change, and the shifting boundaries of politeness. The book's title signals its deliberately light, conversational manner: Sharman combines anecdote, quotation, historical observation, and moral commentary in a style characteristic of nineteenth-century popular antiquarian writing. Beneath its wit lies a serious interest in the relationship between language and authority, particularly the power of institutions to define verbal transgression. Writing in the Victorian period, Sharman belonged to a culture deeply concerned with propriety, self-control, and the regulation of public speech, yet fascinated by the persistence of irreverence in everyday life. That tension provides an important context for the work. His historical approach reflects the period's enthusiasm for collecting curiosities and explaining contemporary manners through the customs of earlier generations. By examining swearing across religious and social contexts, he reveals how linguistic taboos express anxieties about class, morality, gender, and communal identity, while also exposing the limits of respectable censorship. This book will reward readers interested in the history of the English language, Victorian culture, folklore, and the sociology of taboo. It is especially valuable for those who wish to understand profanity as a cultural practice rather than a merely comic or offensive phenomenon. Scholarly in its observations yet accessible in presentation, *A Cursory History of Swearing* invites modern readers to reconsider how words acquire—and lose—their power to shock.

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Julian Sharman, an author with a keen interest in the evolution of language and societal customs, is perhaps best known for his intriguing work, 'A Cursory History of Swearing'. Although not much is widely documented about Sharman's personal life or academic background, his contribution to literature lies primarily in his exploration of the historical context and social implications of swearing. In his book, Sharman delves into the origins and development of oaths and profanities, tracing their roots from antiquity to more modern times, and examining their functions and transformations within English speech. His scholarly approach to what might be considered a risquu00e9 subject reflects a larger Victorian fascination with etymology and the history of the English language. 'A Cursory History of Swearing' stands as a testament to Sharman's meticulous research and his talent for presenting comprehensive analyses of linguistic phenomena in an engaging manner. His work contributes to the field of historical linguistics and provides an insightful look into the cultural attitudes toward language and its taboos, offering readers a glimpse into the complex interplay between societal norms and the words deemed inappropriate or vulgar throughout different periods in history.