Ancient Writing and Its Influence was the first book in English to cover the history of the alphabet, Greek palaeography and epigraphy, Latin palaeography and epigraphy, and the origins of printing. Today, it remains a sound, concise, and expert introduction to these four closely related disciplines, written by one of the master palaeographers of the twentieth century. Among the wide range of topics included are the development of the Latin alphabet, the Gothic script of the Late Middle Ages, and the writing materials and practices of antiquity.