The Pen

From a reed cut on the Nile to the Sharpie, the pen has shaped human history for millennia. In this engaging history, Simon Garfield traces its journey through time, exploring the inks and instruments of Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, the workshops of pen makers, wartime trenches, spy gadgets and the world's leakiest bestseller. With wit and insight, The Pen reveals how this everyday object continues to shape how we communicate.