The Chronicle Of The Fountain Pen

A beautifully illustrated, well-researched presentation of the evolution of fountain pens, showing how political and social events influenced their designs, the trends in their evolution process, and competition, fights, and mergers among manufacturers. This guide shows more than 3000 fountain pens, in 606 full color photographs, with competing models side-by-side to reveal their similarities and differences. At the end of each chronological organized chapter, a timeline shows the main events in the world together with the models introduced by each manufacturer. Other books have addressed the history and development of fountain pens, typically, looking at the evolution of individual manufacturers. That approach, however, leaves out two important aspects: the interaction between manufacturers and influences world events had on their designs. The whole history of the fountain pen is told as a sequence of small stories about the main events. Many of the pens shown here have not previously been published in other books.

Transform your view of the handwritten word with this beautiful illustrated guide to the art of the fountain pen. In an intimate trim size perfect for giftgiving, Fountain Pens traces the history of the development of the pen from early reservoir systems to self-filling pens to modern reproductions. Lavishly illustrated, the book features more than one hundred four-color images, from lush photographic portraits of individual pens to rare vintage advertisements and original patent illustrations. A celebration of the pen from quill to nib, Fountain Pens will be a valued addition to the libraries of collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Examines the full range of fountain pen design providing an at-a-glance guide to hundreds of models. Technical terms are explained and distinguishing marks pinpointed. Includes a comprehensive directory of key manufacturers.

Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award * A National Bestseller “An exceptional story collection.” —New York Times Book Review The well-intentioned protagonists of Brief Encounters with Che Guevera—including a disillusioned NGO worker, the wife of a special operations officer, and an obssessed ornithologist—are caught, to both disastrous and hilarious effect, in the maelstrom of political and social upheaval surrounding them. With masterful pacing and a robust sense of the absurd, each story is a self-contained adventure, steeped in the heady mix of tragedy and danger, excitement and hope, that characterizes countries in transition. An intelligent and keenly observed collection, Brief Encounters with Che Guevera marks the arrival of a striking and resonant new voice that speaks adeptly to the intimate connection between the foreign, the familiar, and the inescapably human.

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and a finalist for the National Book Award “Brilliantly done . . . grand, intimate, and joyous.” —New York Times Book Review From the PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed short story collection, Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, comes Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk ("The Catch-22 of the Iraq War" —Karl Marlantes). Three minutes and forty-three seconds of intensive warfare with Iraqi insurgents—caught on tape by an embedded Fox News crew—has transformed the eight surviving men of Bravo Squad into America’s most sought-after heroes. Now they’re on a media-intensive nationwide tour to reinvigorate public support for the war. On this rainy Thanksgiving Day, the Bravos are in Texas Stadium, slated to be part of the halftime show. Among the Bravos is nineteen-year-old Specialist Billy Lynn. Surrounded by patriots sporting flag pins on their lapels and support our troops bumper stickers, he is thrust into the company of the team’s owner and his coterie of wealthy colleagues; a born-again cheerleader; a veteran Hollywood producer; and supersized players eager for a vicarious taste of war. Over the course of this day, Billy will drink and brawl, yearn for home and mourn those missing, face a heart-wrenching decision and discover pure love and a bitter wisdom far beyond his years. Poignant, riotously funny, and exquisitely heartbreaking, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is a searing and powerful novel that has cemented Ben Fountain’s reputation as one of the finest writers of his generation.

A sequel to Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern, this work provides information on pens. It includes 150 colour photographs of 2,000 vintage and modern pens. It includes chapters on the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Japan, and provides information on the histories and models of the major and minor manufacturers.

The Leadhead's Pencil Blog began in 2011 as an online update service for the author's first book, The Catalogue of American Mechanical Pencils. It is now a standalone resource for vintage and antique mechanical pencils, currently featuring 1,200 articles. This Volume picks up where Volume I left off and includes original research, extensive images and patent drawings for the second full year of the blog, covering "The Big Four" of pencils - Wahl Eversharp, Eagle, Autopoint and Sheaffer - as well as other highly collectible brands, such as Tri-Pen's Triad, W.S. Wicks, Parker and Conklin. Also included are many obscure and forgotten brands that have not been written about in the decades since they first appeared on the market. Part encyclopedia and part travelogue, The Leadhead's Pencil Blog brings together the pencils, the history behind them, and a wonderful community of enthusiasts whose shared information has helped build this indispensable reference.