It is very comforting to open a book on calligraphy and see not various expensive pens but a cheap and simple dip pen being used to great advantage. The most costly thing you might need to purchase here is a T-square, but you are at least likely to have it for a long time and be able to use it for many other crafts. Types of nib, paints and inks, papers and brushes are all discussed, and then it is on with the lettering; this is a book that does not mess about. Try your hand at italics, copperplate, gothic, uncial and foundational scripts, and learn how to hold the pen, the right way your strokes should go, and off you go to practice. This all seems beautifully simple, and I have seen quite a few books on calligraphy that are daunting in the sheer volume of what you need to know - or do you? It depends what you want to learn it for. This book is subtitled "techniques to get you started" and does not profess to be a guide for professionals or advanced calligraphers. If, like me, you just want to be able to write personal messages legibly in cards or letter an invitation without resorting to the impersonal methods mentioned in the first paragraph then this is more than good enough. You will probably be as delighted as I was that you could get away with a dip pen and start lettering right away. All beginners' books should be this simple and accessible.

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