Description
Book SynopsisIn 1450, all Europe''s books were handcopied and amounted to only a few thousand. By 1500 they were printed, and numbered in their millions. The invention of one man - Johann Gutenberg - had caused a revolution. Printing by movable type was a discovery waiting to happen.
Born in 1400 in Mainz, Germany, Gutenberg struggled against a background of plague and religious upheaval to bring his remarkable invention to light. His story is full of paradox: his ambition was to reunite all Christendom, but his invention shattered it; he aimed to make a fortune, but was cruelly denied the fruits of his life''s work. Yet history remembers him as a visionary; his discovery marks the beginning of the modern world.
Trade ReviewThe Gutenberg Revolution is the best book about the origin of books you could read. It is clear, engaging, fast-paced and authoritative. * Stephen Fry *
Extremely erudite and enormously enthusiastic * Guardian *
Vivid . . . engaging, detailed and highly readable . . . a window on an extraordinary display of consummate skill and creative genius * New Scientist *
