Alphabet Key To History Of Mankind

Author(s): David Diringer
Publisher: Hutchinsons Scientific and Technical Publications

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PREFACE who may use the book as an approach to the study of individual scripts and alphabets, will undoubtedly find in the bibliographies a valuable aid to further study. Of these, the general bibliography will be found at the end of the volume, and the bibliographies dealing with particular subjects at the end of the relevant chapters or of the paragraphs in which the script in question is discussed.
LONDON, July, 1947
D.D.
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION
In presenting the second edition of this book, only a few months after the first issue, I wish to express my thanks to the public for so unexpected a favour. The Alphabet, a key to the History of Mankind, has proved by its popularity the need for such a work. At the same time, I desire to record my obligations to those scholars who, with their favourable reviews of my book, drew the attention of the public to this much neglected old-new subject.
The opportunity has been taken to correct a few errors and to expand some of the bibliographies, and I must express my thanks to various scholars, known and unknown to me, who have pointed out possible improvements; especially I am indebted to Mrs. Beauchamp Tufnell and Miss Olga Tufnell, to Mrs. Hilda Splitter, to Professors G. R. Driver, S. H. Hooke and D. Winton Thomas, and to Mr. R. D. Barnett.
If, despite the care taken, any errors have still crept in, letters from readers drawing attention to them will be greatly appreciated. Indeed, a student of scripts from all periods and from the whole world must, unless he is a monster of omniscience, deal with many matters of which he has no firsthand knowledge. That he has been guilty of errors and omissions in some of these, he will learn soon after publication, sometimes with gratitude, sometimes otherwise. I should like, however, to assure my readers that no suggestion will be considered as unwelcome and will be reckoned with in the next revision for a new edition.
CAMBRIDGE, October, 1948.
D.D.