Dimensions
130 x 197 x 21mm
The Story of a Technical Genius and an Invention that Changed the World.
In 1450, all Europe's books were handcopied and amounted to no more than a few thousand. By 1500 they were printed, and numbered in their millions. Printing made possible the development of modern science and literature, and the political shift from family fiefdoms to nation-states. It brought about the biggest changes in human culture since the invention of the alphabet itself.
Printing with moveable type was an invention waiting to happen, and it was Johann Gutenberg's vision and drive that made it a reality. Though a combination of technical genius and the ability to attract wealthy backers the Mainz-born Gutenberg produced a bible of extravagant and legendary beauty using the revolutionary method that was to underpin and accelerate the rise of western culture.
Yet Gutenberg's story is full of paradox: his ambition was to reunite all Christendom, but his invention was used to shatter it; he aimed to make a fortune, but was cruelly denied the fruits of his life's work.
Gutenberg struggled against a background of plague, religious upheaval and legal battles to bring his remarkable invention to light but once the secret of printing with movable type was revealed, the world was never the same again.
