The book is a history of the written word. It traces the form and use of the Roman alphabet from its origins down to the present era. Its unique slant is to look at the written word as one interconnected graphic world, from inscriptions through handwriting, calligraphy and typography. Clayton traces the history up to the present era showing how the transition to electronic forms was achieved. It is the first book in English to take such a comprehensive perspective and the first since Nicolete Gray’s ‘A History of Lettering’ (Phaidon 1986) to look at this history in depth as one interconnected sweep. The book is also available in US, Spanish and Italian editions.