(Click image to view on Amazon.)
This is the first broad-pen calligraphy book I have bought in about 15 years, as I try to re-establish an up-to-date calligraphy library. It's a great combination of style exemplars and projects that is a joy to look at. There are some similarities between this book and The Calligraphy Bible (which I have only skimmed), but this book appears to have more projects and photos and is a larger format. I recommend it as an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of broad-pen styles with a good dose of inspiration.
There are 40 different exemplars in chronological order, almost all broad-pen, with one copperplate exemplar. There are a couple of paragraphs of history with each exemplar, along with illustrated details on curves, spacing, and ligatures, and at least two example projects. At the end, there is a section that covers decorative elements (flourishes, Celtic knots), layout tips, and envelope examples. There are also some sections on using "drawing pens" and cola pens to create more abstract styles. There is a chapter on calligraphy basics at the beginning, but this is definitely not a beginner's "how-to" book.
I'm interested to see if anyone else has this book and what you think.
