Back to Font

Calling all type nerds! Get ready for a chatty and opinionated, deeply nerdy history of how 16 of the most famous typefaces were made and why they look the way they do.

Who were their "parents" and "family"? Where do they come from and how were they born? And what was happening in the world at the time that influenced their growth and use? What's pretty and interesting about them, and what isn't? How are the typefaces used (and abused), and where can we find them "in the wild"? Finally, and most importantly, Back to Font will help you decide whether to kiss, kill, or marry that typeface.

An entertaining yet authoritative text by two Australian academics will be enhanced by colour illustrations showing typefaces in use. Based on the authors' podcast The Type Pod. Warning: this book may cause you to rethink your default font settings.

Contents: Times New Roman / Gill Sans / Futura / Bodoni / Goudy / Baskerville / Akzidenz Grotesk / Mrs Eaves / Trajan / Novarese / Bell Centennial / Foundry Sterling / Transport / Zapf Dingbats / Univers / Papyrus