The Gutenberg Revolution: The story of a genius and an invention that changed
the world by John Man, Review, 拢14.99, ISBN 0747245045
EUROPE changed for ever about 500 years ago. Johan Gutenberg鈥檚 development of
printing with moveable type allowed standardised texts to cross empires, spread
knowledge and bring books to the masses. Between 1450 and 1500, Europe鈥檚 new
presses printed between 15 and 20 million books.
In The Gutenberg Revolution John Man explores why, when the Chinese
had already invented it and the technical elements needed were available
throughout 15th-century Europe, printing should finally have been kick-started
by Gutenberg. He paints a vivid picture of the political, religious and social
turbulence of that world鈥攁nd of Gutenberg as an early capitalist, cashing
in on the continent-wide market provided by the Catholic Church.
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Man鈥檚 book is engaging, detailed and highly readable, breathing life into the
fascinating story of a technological and entrepreneurial revolution that almost
foundered under political complications and a lack of funds. It is a window on
an extraordinary display of consummate skill and inventive genius. The Gutenberg
Bible itself was the product of more than 20 years of research and experiment
and, Man argues, is still one of the most beautiful examples of the printer鈥檚
art ever produced. Hovering between biography and techno-history, this is a very
accessible introduction to an invention that shaped our world.