Baskerville

A compact and charming history of the classic Enlightenment font by the New York Times best-selling author of Just My Type . When Baskerville was first created in 1757, there was concern that it would damage readers’ eyes with its combination of thin and thick strokes and tapering serifs. Yet 250 years later, it remains one of the most common typefaces in books of all kinds. As best-selling author Simon Garfield tells it, the tale of this elegant typeface is one of painstaking dedication. John Baskerville was a maverick lacquer-maker and master printer who considered it his life’s mission to achieve the font’s perfection, culminating in his magnificent Bible, acclaimed as the finest ever made. Garfield explores why Baskerville’s body was dug up and buried many times before finally being allowed to rest in peace, and examines Baskerville’s legacy through the work of his wife, Sarah Baskerville—one of the first powerful women in the printing world—and the archivists and enthusiasts working to preserve the font’s original steel punches today.