The History of English Spelling 1st Edition

Also a good read (but with a bit of a self-righteous author... https://www.amazon.com/Who-Are-How-Got-Here/dp/110187032X

Yes, we all have been taught that English spelling is not systematic. What this book shows that there are multiple spelling systems involved: (a) Old English; (b) Franco-Latin; (c) Greek;(d) Exotic input. This book lays out how various graphemes and grapheme digraphs in each system are related to sounds. This one is a great addition to Edward Carney's "A Survey on English Spelling". If you are an ESL/EFL student, you can also look at David Crystal's "Spell it out: the singular story of English spelling", which sythesizes the results from these two great books. BTW, David Crystal edited this book.