The fountain pen is set in the historical context of the development of writing and writing instruments, from the earliest cave drawings and clay tablets to the advent of the ball-point pen and the electronic keyboard. Interest in fountain pens today resides largely in their collectability: there are thousands of incarnations, from the mass produced to the crafted magnificence of limited edition masterpieces. The fountain pen has an enduring fascination and is still used today as a status symbol, as a means to fine calligraphy and to mark historic occasions.

The second half of the book is devoted to a detailed survey of 100 individual examples of the fountain pen dating from 1890 to 1997. Some of these are relatively ordinary, while others can be described only as extraordinary creations.

The book has remarkable illustrations not only of individual pens, but of original designs, advertising posters, leaflets and old photos.