Typography [Hardcover]

Friedrich Friedl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 1998

An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Throughout History. The most detailed and comprehensive survey and history of typography and alphabets ever undertaken, packed with 2,000 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

What Janson's History of Art is to millions of art history students, Typography will be to today's--and tomorrow's--design students. -- Wired, Daniel Carter

Language Notes

Text: English, French, German

Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; First Edition edition (January 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579120237
• ISBN-13: 978-1579120238
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #827,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Monumental but off target (maybe), March 11, 1999

By 

Andrea Pacelli (New York, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Typography (Hardcover)

Warning: Handling this book can cause bodily injury. Consult a doctor if you have previously had joint or muscle problems. Part of the size and weight of this book is due to the English/German/French translation, which triples the text area. This is a custom typical of Continental European art&design publications, whose readership usually knows no other language than their native one (note--I'm from Italy and I speak from experience). Personally, I would have preferred a book 30% smaller and lighter, with more actual information inside. Oh, and about the content: the "Who's Who" section, which represents the bulk of the book, does not mention D. B. Updike or Francis Meynell! Here we have a problem of defining the field. If you are interested in graphics design, this book is definitely for you. If you care about TYPOGRAPHY, defined as the art of designing and manufacturing printed pages, well, go read something else.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedic, 600pp, color illus of entries every page, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Typography (Hardcover)

Bought my 7lb copy in Sydney in July. Brief sketches of type designers, foundries, graphics designers--largely European (but plenty of Americans). In Engl/Fr/Ger. Illus on every page of entities on the page, mostly in color: Typeface (mostly metal) alphabets, type layouts, graphic designs. Entries are usually a couple of pghs, but F.W.Goudy entry, for example, lists most of his type designs. A typography fancier with a good set of reference books will find little new about the Goudys, Gutenbergs, Zapfs and Bodonis, but will find useful notes not generally available elsewhere, particularly on graphics designers and digital typeface designers, and, for instance, an entry on Eckehart SchumacherGabler and his Leipzig project. GREAT VALUE for the money.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb reference book - a must purchase, March 8, 2004

By 

Erich Shelton "Lord Fontleroy" (Evansville, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Typography (Hardcover)

I teach university level Graphic Design and Typography and brought my copy into class, like I do many books, hoping to inspire my students. If anyone has ever taught young college students, inspiration doesn't always come as we expect. Most of the time they give a half willing glance with little comment. However, when I brought this book into class, showed them the contents, and then noted the price, their interests immediately grew. It is an extremely large book and full of examples or overviews of everyone throughout history who has made contributions into design and type. It is not meant to be an exhaustive book on the subject and there were some designers and artists which possibly needed or deserved more exposure. However, it sparked enough interest in my students that before the class was over I had five students signing their name for me to order them a copy.

Once those interested received their copies, I heard them speaking among themselves and one particular young man, who seldom has anything positive to say, said to his friend. "It's an awesome book dude. You should come over sometime and look at it."

I recommend this book for anyone needing a little inspiration. It touches the tip of the ice berg, but sometimes that is all it takes!