Daniel Harbour's The Book of Lost Languages tells the gripping tale of the individuals who pushed back the dawn of history by 3,000 years. These were the brilliant decipherers who groped their way into lost linguistic universes using every clue at their disposal, and what makes their story so palpitating is that luck and timing so often played a part in their breakthroughs. Luck and timing, therefore, may be all that separate today's decipherers from unlocking those universes still closed to us.

Laura Spinney, author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global

There is so much more to decipherment than meets the eye of the uninitiated. It's a gripping science that draws on a dizzying number of disciplines. Its heroes-those who gave our ancient ancestors their voices back-are more like superheroes, with the powers of tenacity, wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge. You really have to suspend disbelief to take it all in. Daniel Harbour does an outstanding job of opening up this world with-as he describes one of his protagonists 'one eye for enchantment, the other for exactitude.' It's an impossible book to put down.

Yotam Ottolenghi

For any lover of ancient linguistic puzzles, there could hardly be any more patient, wide-ranging, and up-to-date guide than Daniel Harbour. From the earliest cracks at deciphering Palmyrene and Phoenician to the latest work on Andean khipus, making all the classic stops in between from Egypt to Easter Island, The Book of Lost Languages is both sweeping in its coverage and meticulous on the details.

Ross Perlin, author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York

A compelling and authoritative global code-cracking adventure, with tales of historical decipherment so thrilling they set the pulse racing.

Edward Brooke-Hitching, author of Phantom Atlas: the Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps

A riveting biographical history of decipherment, told with exemplary clarity, and combining all the drama of a political thriller, the intrigue of a detective story, and the challenge of a cryptic crossword.

David Crystal, author of Crystal's Curiosity Cabinet and Shakespeare's Words: a Glossary and Language Companion

Daniel Harbour has done a masterful job at bringing decipherment to life. Rich in historical anecdote, with clear linguistic exposition-and entertaining puzzles-he brilliantly conveys the thrill of connecting with the ancient world. Harbour is an immensely knowledgeable guide and he has written a playful, deeply researched book full of fascinating detail that will delight lovers of languages and ancient scripts.

Alex Bellos, author of The Language Lover's Puzzle Book and Here's Looking at Euclid: a Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math