I was introduced to Strunk & White as a 2nd year grad student (1968 or so). I found it useful at the time, but few other guides were available then or at least know to me. Around 1910, Geoffrey K Pullum (University of Edinburgh) visited the University of Washington (where I worked) gave a public lecture on S&W -- it was blistering. Pullum published his polemic, so it is readily accessible (doi:10.1017/S0266078410000076). Warning: Pullum is rather blunt in his criticism of S&W. Consider the start of his third paragraph: "I believe the success of Elements to be one of the worst things to have happened to English language education in America in the past century.." From there on, Pullum's criticism becomes even more dogmatic. [Note: Pullum is co-author of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. He does know grammar.]
Another useful book is Steven Pinker's "The Sense of Style." This is a very clear guide to writing. Also well worth the time is this lecture he presented to MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL-YNAb_uXo. This was presented not long before the book was published and covers the same concepts. Among other things he is pretty sharply critical of Strunk and White.
Yes! I am old but not 1910 old! Apparently I need to read Claire Kehrwald Cook's book, recommend in your article.
I was introduced to Strunk & White as a 2nd year grad student (1968 or so). I found it useful at the time, but few other guides were available then or at least know to me. Around 1910, Geoffrey K Pullum (University of Edinburgh) visited the University of Washington (where I worked) gave a public lecture on S&W -- it was blistering. Pullum published his polemic, so it is readily accessible (doi:10.1017/S0266078410000076). Warning: Pullum is rather blunt in his criticism of S&W. Consider the start of his third paragraph: "I believe the success of Elements to be one of the worst things to have happened to English language education in America in the past century.." From there on, Pullum's criticism becomes even more dogmatic. [Note: Pullum is co-author of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. He does know grammar.]
When you wrote 1910, did you mean 2010? The Pullum essay was published in 2010: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/english-today/article/land-of-the-free-and-the-elements-of-style/457372181A1CB5F884681FB46DDDE769
Another useful book is Steven Pinker's "The Sense of Style." This is a very clear guide to writing. Also well worth the time is this lecture he presented to MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL-YNAb_uXo. This was presented not long before the book was published and covers the same concepts. Among other things he is pretty sharply critical of Strunk and White.