Decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing has reached the point where most Maya written texts -- whether inscribed on the monuments, written in the codices, or painted or incised on ceramics -- can now be read with some confidence. The breaking of the Maya code has completely changed our knowledge of this ancient civilization, and has revealed the Maya people's long and vivid history.

In the recent past, a working knowledge of this script has been confined to epigraphers, art historians, and other specialists. Its very unfamiliarity to the general public, and the daunting aspect of its approximately 800 signs, have made the system appear more complex and arcane than it really is. Yet the rudiments of the system have been successfully taught at a number of Maya workshops in the United States, Canada, and Britain.

Reading the Maya Glyphs is a compact, portable guide that enables students, tourists, and armchair travelers to read and understand commonly encountered Classic Maya texts. Topics include the nature of the script, the intricate Maya calendar, dynastic and political texts, and every aspect of the natural and supernatural world in which they lived. Written by one of the leading authorities in Maya studies, Michael D. Coe, and illustrated by the drawings of Mark Van Stone, one of America's outstanding calligraphers, the book presupposes no previous training in Maya epigraphy or archaeology. Whether in the hands of visitors to the great Maya sites of Mexico and Central America, or consulted by museum-goers, this guide will enhance appreciation of some of the world's greatest art and architecture.