The subjects treated in this book have been especially chosen to represent a bridge connecting the content of a first course on the elementary theory of analytic functions with a rigorous treatment of some of the most important special functions: the Euler gamma function, the Gauss hypergeometric function, and the Kummer confluent hypergeometric function. Such special functions are indispensable tools in "higher calculus" and are frequently encountered in almost all branches of pure and applied mathematics. The only knowledge assumed on the part of the reader is an understanding of basic concepts to the level gained from an elementary course covering the residue theorem, Cauchy’s integral formula, Taylor and Laurent series expansions, poles and essential singularities, branch points, etc.