Third edition, completely revised with the assistance of Reinhold Regensbuger. The second volume contains nothing but illustrations to the text. An essential reference book. xii,473; 452 pages. cloth, slipcase.. 4to..

The alphabet: a key to the history of mankind

History

DIRINGER, David

Historical Study & Educational Resources

Funk & Wagnalls

"A remarkable work. . . . For sheer weight of information there is no equal to it." — The Spectator. It is probable that the earliest "books" were written on wood or leaves as early as the fourth millennium B.C. These fragile materials, unfortunately, have not come down to us. In their absence, the earliest surviving books are the clay tablets of Mesopotamia, the oldest attributed to c. 3500 B.C. On these ancient clay shards, dense rows of cuneiform script record the seminal writings of mankind: the Gilgamesh epic, Sumerian literary catalogues, Babylonian astrology, Assyrian accounts of the Creation and the Flood, and the Lipit-Ishtar Law-Code (c. 2000 B.C.), predating Hammurabi and the oldest law code in human history. Probably as ancient as the Mesopotamian writings, or nearly so, are Egyptian hieroglyphics. In a sense, it is the papyrus scrolls of the Egyptians — preserved by that country's hot, dry climate — that represent the true ancestors of the modern book. As the centuries passed, papyrus slowly gave way to parchment (the prepared skins of animals) as writing material. Indeed, the handwritten parchment or vellum codex is "the book" par excellence of the Middle Ages. Western European book production is only part of the story, and the author is at pains to illuminate the bibliographic contributions of numerous peoples and cultures: Greek and Roman book production, books made in central and southern Asia, the books of Africa, pre-Columbian America, and the Far East — material that is often not mentioned in Western histories of the book. Based on years of painstaking research and incorporating a wealth of new material and conclusions, the text is enhanced throughout by abundant illustrations — nearly 200 photographic facsimiles of priceless manuscripts in museums and libraries around the world.

The Book Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval and Oriental (Lettering, Calligraphy, Typography)

Literature & Fiction

Dover Publications

First edition. Part of the series entitled Ancient Peoples and Places. History of writing well illustrated with examples from the author's collection. 78 photographs and 49 line drawings. Clipped newspaper obituary taped to front pastedown and TLS review of book loosely inserted. 261 pages. cloth, dust jacket.. 8vo..

Writing

Thames&Hudson

History of the Alphabet

Newbury Books(GA)

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind (Kessinger Legacy Reprints)

Literary

Kessinger Publishing

The Alphabet: A Key To The History Of Mankind

The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind

This is a new release of the original 1948 edition.

Minns, Ellis

Literary Licensing, LLC

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Ancient Civilizations

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DIRINGER, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by DIRINGER, David

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DIRINGER, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The alphabet: a key to the history of mankind

The Book Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval and Oriental (Lettering, Calligraphy, Typography)

Writing

History of the Alphabet

The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind (Kessinger Legacy Reprints)

The Alphabet: A Key To The History Of Mankind

The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind

The Alphabet: A Key To The History Of Mankind

The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind

The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind