Customer Reviews

Jan Tschichold: A Life in Typography

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First the good. "Life in Typography" is a beautifully illustrated paperback containing gorgeous, intriguing scans of pages and illustrations from the work of typographer/illustrator Jan Tschichold. Fortunately, a number of reprints in the book are reprinted actual size, to give the viewer a distinctly real vantage point into what the originals actually looked like. So unless you've got the cash to buy out-of-print books, this is by far the most sane route. And it's not too expensive either.

But the only problem I had with the book is that I wanted to learn more about the artist himself. Tschichold's bold, at times abbrasive tone comes out in his pen sketched notes on a number of reprints and in-house drafts, leading the reader to believe he was probably one obnoxious, colorful, temperamental character. Instead, "A Life in Typography" sheds little light on the 'life' of Tschichold, and focuses instead on images with little explanation.

Were there no interviews with Tschichold that could have been reprinted? A larger window into his persona would have really helped understand his persistance and drive for typographic perfection.

But of everything reprinted in the book, quite possibly the most stirring, worthy part is a four page reprint of "Composition Rules" written by Tschichold and distributed to employees of the Penguin Book company. It's forceful, blunt, and essential reading for anyone involved in typesetting. He explains in detail how to treat capitals, italics, paragraph indents and punctuation marks. His thoughts and opinions about typography leap off the page.

So if you need a quick reference of his work, or are someone who just discovered the name Tschichold, this is a must have for your design library.

The late Ruary McLean has deligted the world of typography with many seminal books on the subject. "Jan Tschichold: a life in typography" is but one good example of his prodigious output. McLean uses his personal acquaintance with Tschichold to good effect in a delightful essay about this important 20th century type designer. The essay evaluates the work of this controversial figure who started as a convential designer, espoused a radical change, and then reverted to a more classical view of typography. The book contains many examples of Tschichold's work from all three stages of his development. An excellent reference.