Mastering Hebrew Calligraphy Hardcover by Izzy Pludwinski (Koren Publishers Jerusalem)

I own a number of books on Hebrew calligraphy and, as a (western) calligrapher, I have dabbled in Hebrew calligraphy over the years. I knew of Pludwinsky's beautiful work and was eager to see this book. When it arrived, it blew me away with its beauty, usefulness, thoroughness; it is a magnificent book, beautifully produced. The instruction is precise and easy to follow, with black and greyed-out strokes showing stroke direction and order of strokes in every style of Hebrew writing. Many notations accompany the diagrams, with pen positions indicated by a fine outline of the nib. In every section, common errors are also shown, very helpful for every practitioner. This is the most effective instructional book on calligraphy that I have ever encountered. But it is far more than simply an instructional marvel; it contains a wealth of illustration, Pludwinski's work, the work of other important Hebrew calligraphers, historical examples. There are chapters on layout, quill cutting, writing with color and gold, analyzing historical manuscripts, and combining Hebrew with English. The text is well-written and clear. My one small quibble with this book is that the justified text, in some of the narrower columns, has over-large word spaces that could have been adjusted to avoid these "rivers" of space within the text. Nonetheless, it is a handsome volume and I am delighted to have it.