'The fascinating story of the ancient words that survive in the mouths of billions of speakers today.'

Henry Oliver, The Guardian

'Refreshing and lively Proto will take the reader on an unlikely historical odyssey … most importantly, it shows that we are more connected than we might have been led to believe.'

New Statesman

'An enormously refreshing and readable history of worlds that were physically far apart but, in a sense, spoke with a single voice.'

David Abulafia, Literary Review

'Intriguing, lively … something for everyone.'

Nature

'A lively and fascinating account of how these languages split from their root, developed in different ways, mingled with each other, crossed tracks, flourished and died. I loved it!'

David Bellos, author of Is That a Fish in your Ear?

'Formidably researched but lightly written, I put down this book with the pleasurable sense that the world around me had become a little stranger and richer.'

Helen Gordon, author of Notes from Deep Time

‘Superb. With style and panache, Laura Spinney tells a truly extraordinary detective story.’

Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything

‘An extraordinary journey through human history with words as a compass. It is a sweeping story beautifully told. Profound and illuminating.’

Moudhy Al-Rashid, author of Between Two Rivers

'A sweeping saga … Spinney explains how a single language family spread across the world.'

Publishers Weekly

'This beautifully researched and written book is about far more than language; it is a history of the world in microcosm.'

Douglas Preston, author of The Lost City of the Monkey God

'Proto is a real detective story told with a compelling combination of academic rigour, human interest, vivid description, and personal biography. A tour de force.'

David Crystal, author of A Date with Language