The author is an enthusiast who happily shares her knowledge of the history and development of the most notable Arabic scripts, from the earliest written precursors to the twentieth century. She traces the evolution and relationships of various hands and shares some biographical information of some of the most influential and important Islamic calligraphers in history. Each script is described in terms of its typical usage, materials (grounds, inks, etc.), aesthetic features, etc. At 31 pages of text, this book is a quick read, followed by 110 pages of black and white plates. The text is accompanied by supplemental figures on almost every page and marginal numbers that correspond to plate numbers of representative examples. The 200 illustrations show Arabic calligraphy in every conceivable medium: Qur'an pages, enamelware, walls, carved ivory, textiles, tiles, metalwork, and more. Each image is identified in terms of type of script, approximate date and location of origin, physical material, and content of the text (for example, the sura and verse of the text is from the Qur'an). This is not a scholarly, analytical work with comprehensive notes and references. Instead, Safadi shares historical anecdotes that give the scripts personality and burbles about their qualities. For example, "[Muhaqqaq's] full perfection was realized at the hands of Ibn al-Bawwab (d. 1022), who gave it shallow and sweeping horizontal sublinear flourishes for impetus and more extended upstrokes for grandeur." The book is a treasure trove of images that are properly identified and credited (a boon for researchers) and ends with a primer on the Arabic alphabet, a small glossary, and a limited bibliography. It is a nice introduction to Arabic calligraphy in art and the various scripts. It is not suitable for learning or practicing Arabic calligraphy itself, but provides many ideas for what to do with the skill once it is learned elsewhere. ( )

Well written, authoratative and nicely illustrated guide to Islamic calligraphy. Considered one of the standard reference works on the subject. ( )