Introduction to Qur'anic Script

Rating:
Summary: note to shoppers RE the existence of 2 editions NOT bindings
Review: Name of author of book: Syed Barakat Ahmad

The softcover (a.k.a. trade paper binding)
ISBN: 0-7007-1069-8
is based on a 1985 edition.
The copyright page states
"This Edition first published by Curzon Press in 1985
First Published in paperback 1999 by
Curzon Press"...

N.B.: According to the amazon Product Details
for the Hardcover (a.k.a. trade cloth binding)
ISBN: 0-7007-0182-6
the Hardcover one has an APPARENTLY more recent date:
"Revised edition (March 1, 1986)".

Something might be fishy though:
the four-digit SKU 0182 for the "1986" is less/earlier than
the four-digit SKU 1069 for the "1985".
Perhaps that can be explained by considering that the
trade paper was released in 1999 (later); nevertheless, the
trade PAPER is supposedly based on a previous 1985 edition...

Also, for what it's worth, do note that the
trade PAPER has 220 pages (vintage ?1985?), whereas the
trade CLOTH has 184 pages (vintage ?1986?), according to amazon.
Seems illogical that a revised edition should have LESS pages...

Comments and/or feedback most welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide to reading and writing Arabic script
Review: This book teaches the beginner exactly how to write all forms of each letter, carefully explaining the contexts in which the various forms occur. While the main discussion centers on standard naskh style, a wide variety of other script styles are also illustrated. The sometimes complicated rules are explained clearly. Copious examples from the Qur'an are correctly transcribed to show the pronunciation, and a certain amount of grammar is also included. Primarily intended for teaching a person to read the Qur'an, but also useful for a student of modern Arabic who would like clear guidance read and write the letters of the alphabet. Much better graphic quality (i.e. easier to read the letters and accents or diacritics) than in many introductory books on Arabic. Includes appendix on the Persian and Urdu variants of the script.