Took me a bit, but I ran down the piece I had read previously in the WSJ in 2005. It outlines the different versions of the Strunk & White book. The 3rd ed., at least according to this author, is the best. It is also the last one Mr. White was involved with.
The original edition is available online for free from Bartleby's (and elsewhere), and I just saw a Dover hardback edition of it as well for $3.00, I think.
----- Original Message ----
From: Patricia M. Godfrey
<priscamg@xxxxxxxx>
To: xywrite@xxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, October 5, 2007 3:21:25 PM
Subject: Re: Books on writing?
Frank Brownlow wrote:
> If you want Strunk & White--I think the title is "The Elements of
> style"--you have to buy a pre-1970 or so copy. That was about when, in
> the manner of text-book publishers, the owners of the copyright brought
> in a run-of-the-mill freshman English teacher to revise the book who,
> like most such people, hadn't the first notion of real writing, and
> wrecked it.
Very interesting. My copy is c. 1979, Macmillan, 3d ed., but the
only names acknowledged to have contributed are Strunk himself
and E. B. White. According the the copyright page, the earlier
eds. were 1935 (itself a "rev. ed.", of what unspecified), 1959,
and 1972. White had no hand in the 1935 ed., which was Strunk,
rev. by Edward A.
Tenney.
--
Patricia M. Godfrey
PriscaMG@xxxxxxxx