William Nicholson was still in his twenties when he started working on books for the publisher William Heinemann that combined a hugely powerful woodcut style with peerlessly precise observation and sly humour. An Alphabet brings together a collection of portraits, from A is an Artist to Z is a Zoologist whose liveliness is only increased by the calligraphic vigour of Nicholson's print style. A great classic of British book illustration, unavailable for decades. Published simultaneously with two other works The Square Book of Animals and The Book of Blokes. AUTHOR: Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson (1872 1949) was one of the most talented and versatile painters ever to work in Britain. A creator of astonishingly precise and delicate still lives, and of some of the most penetrating portraits of the century, he also pioneered a vigorous style of woodcut illustration that remains unequalled for its strength and subtlety. His son was the painter Ben Nicholson. SELLING POINTS: . An Alphabet brings together a collection of portraits, from A is an Artist to Z is a Zoologist . A great classic of British book illustration, unavailable for decades 27 colour illustrations