The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

While this book was good for its time, it just does not compare with other books on the market now. A hefty revision, in line with that of the new OED, is sorely needed. If you want a far better etymological dictionary with the same amount of coverage go for the Chambers (Barnhart) one. Alternatively if you think 8000 words is sufficient then go for Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins which is simply incredible in both its depth of analysis and its readability. However, for comprehensive and very accessible coverage of something like over 50000 words, then one should really go for Klein's Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language which despite its very hefty price tag (in the region of £100!!) is a quite extraordinary piece of research.