A landmark in its field - and the only book of its kind available in English - this classic study comprehensively traces the development of Chinese writing from the earliest inscriptions to the advent of printing, organizing its history with significant attention to the tools used for these acts. For this revised edition, Tsien adds material treating the many major documents discovered since the book's original publication, and Edward L. Shaughnessy contributes a new introduction.

Afterword by: Edward L. Shaughnessy