This text charts developments in the teaching and study of handwriting over the course of the 20th century. It shows how changing educational policies, economic forces and inevitable technological advance have combined to alter the priorities and form of handwriting. This "long and sometimes sorry story" tells also of the sheer pain and hard work of children forced to follow the style of the day, and of the reformers who have sought to simplify the teaching and learning of handwriting over the years. Illustrated throughout with examples from copybooks and personal handwriting from across the world, the book is a historical record of techniques, styles and methods.