Calligraphy: A Complete Guide

I've been studying this for a while now and it's really a good book. Enjoying it thoroughly and really appreciate that it has history along with the letter guides. It's nice to know why things are the way they are.

Highly recommend if you want some good instruction. I have multiple books and this one along with another one I have are great. I'm just starting my calligraphy journey and love how it says what nib is best for the style and more.

Made it about halfway through the book so far and I can say this; GET THIS BOOK. Seriously, if you're looking to start from scratch, get guidance on additional scripts/hands, get a copy.The tools, mediums, and materials covered are more than adequate to get started. Each script includes a bit of history as to when it was used, the common tools to do it as well as the module(x-height), stroke patterns, and additional advanced tidbits.I've got a copy of Drogan. I've looked through Harris. This, in my mind, has them both beat for the presentation of the material and instruction. This is the book I would throw at anyone wanting to learn calligraphy.At one point the book was like "This is a good script, it's a little complicated so maybe start with something like Uncial, but hey you do you".Did I gush enough over this? 'cause I could gush more.Now, for what I didn't like. Don't worry, it's a short list.JULIEN, WHY DID YOU NOT SITE ANY OF THE SOURCES FOR THE HISTORIES OR SCRIPTS?! Dude, Seriously, you were supposed to be complete! You were THIS close! (holds up fingers next to each other) The historical progression of the scripts I'm familiar with from a dozen other sources. Also, not going to be critical on what you know but what's your background?! There's no information on the author at all in this book and the website on the back has a placeholder page. I want to read a little bit about you and go "damn, you did good" or "damn, no wonder you did good"!So, is it "Complete"? Debatable, but I'd say it's pretty darn close. I'd have to split hairs to say it wasn't. I mean, did you know there was a Merovingian script? I sure as hell didn't.

I have multiple other calligraphy books but this one is AMAZING! I love the history behind each type and the clear instructions on how to write them! Highly recommend 🤩

In my moderately large Calligraphy library this is one book that certainly stands out. The author is quite thorough, showing many scripts, some of which I'd never been exposed to before. He gives a short history of the origins of the script before showing you the upper and lower case letters, using the arrow method to show the order of stroke placement. I don't always agree with how other author's create letters and their particular arrow placement, this author doesn't use as many arrows as some others do which is a relief. Much of that is intuitive as you do more and more practice, you can see which stroke goes first ect. Each letter in the hand is grouped with other like letters. I've been having fun creating various letters in scripts I haven't been exposed to in the past. I love the section on Whimsical lettering. My Calligraphy skills have definitely increased since using this comprehensive book, something I can't say about other books in my library. Using this book has made Calligraphy more fun as I move away from my usual Italic to try other new and more complex hands. It's very easy to read, different scripts are grouped together, and the Calligraphy history that begins the book, and is seen throughout, is a great foundation of this beautiful art form. I'm only sorry I didn't know about this great book, and thus didn't add it to my library sooner.

The book has good binding, paper, and most of all great content and presentation. Worth the money.

This book is just superb! More than 200 beautifully presented pages that include the history of diferent kinds of alphabets, not only the most commonly featured in other books like bookhand or chancery letters. You will find early medieval fonts such as merovingian, carolingian and very rare lombardic, diferent styles for gothic letters, copperplate, flemish, modern letters, pictography, etc.. The book gives lots of ideas for laying out, borders, coloring and decorations. Eventhough the instructions in the book are very complete and elaborate, I do not think it is adequate for those that are just starting. There is so much information that can be hard to follow for the very beginners. Anyway, I am very happy that I could have the chance to find such treasure and I really recomend it for all the calligraphy and art lovers.

I bought this book for a Christmas gift for my girlfriend. She enjoys the instruction. And she is thrilled about reading the history of various lettering styles through the centuries. Being a former teacher this book was a hit!

I purchased this based on excellent reviews by others and I am blown away by the quality of this volume. Hard to describe and do it justice as a stunning reference book. Covers everything and then some. History, ductus, wonderful exemplars, new techniques, illumination, design and more. This is a treasure for any serious calligrapher's library. A treasure of calligraphic expression! I ain't ever lending this one out.....

１０冊持っているカリグラフィーのガイドブックのうち、最もよく使用しているお気に入り本。各書体について適切な道具選びと基本ストローク（点と直線と曲線）の出しかたとセリフのまとめがあるので、書体の特徴把握が簡単です。しかも古代から現代まで時代順に並んでいるのでローマ字のデザインを歴史的視点から網羅できます。　全文英語表記なのと当たり前すぎることは記述がないので、入門者には使いこなせないだろうし、初心者には意味がわからないことが多いかもしれません。ある程度の経験者、２冊目以降の方にはおすすめ、３冊目にはぜひ持っていてもらいたい１品です。

Nice book, with a wide range of alphabets and good explanations.

この書体にはどのペン先をを使えばいいか、書き順はどうかなどを、ひとつの書体につき4ページほど記載しています。書体の歴史などの説明に関してはやや薄いところがありますが、概要としては問題ありませんし、amazonさんで売られているカリグラフィーの書籍の中では良い方です。ただ、カッパープレート体とされているような細い字形を要するものは、あまりありません。（全くないわけではない）字間に関しての記述もほぼなく、文全体を構成するうえで参考となる作品やサンプルも少ないです。他の書籍で補う、美術館などに行き実際の手書き文を見て参考にする、などが必要となるかもしれません。個人的には Gothic Initials の記述が役に立ちました。書体について歴史的経緯などを一般より詳しく知りたい方は、こういった本ではなく、オープンソースの図書館（海外含む）などで資料を探したほうがよいでしょう。この本をハウツー本として見るならば、カリグラフィーの書籍（英語）の中では最もお勧めできます。（私はプロではありません）

思いのままに購入して 良かったです。表紙 写真など 見ごたえあります。