Sundials were once highly important timepieces although now they more commonly appear as garden ornaments as the modern world demands greater convenience and accuracy. This concise study looks at each different class of sundial, including vertical, multiple, horizontal, equinoctial polar and other more unusual dials. The book begins with the history and development of using the sun to determine the passing of time, from prehistory to the Romans and Anglo-Saxons and the first publications devoted to the art of dialling from the late 16th cetury onwards. Historic as well as modern dials are discussed and illustrated, including those found on buildings, in churchyards, in public squares and private gardens.