The dawn of print was a major turning point in the early modern world. It rescued ancient learning from obscurity, transformed knowledge of the natural and physical world, and brought the thrill of book ownership to the masses. But, as Andrew Pettegree reveals in this work of great historical merit, the story of the post-Gutenberg world was rather more complicated than we have often come to believe. "The Book in the Renaissance" reconstructs the first 150 years of the world of print, exploring the complex web of religious, economic and cultural concerns surrounding the printed word. From its very beginnings, the printed book had to straddle financial and religious imperatives, as well as the very different requirements and constraints of the many countries who embraced it, and, as Pettegree argues, the process was far from a runaway success. More than ideas, the success or failure of books depended upon patrons and markets, precarious strategies and the thwarting of piracy, and the ebb and flow of popular demand. Owing to his expert and highly detailed research, Pettegree crafts an authoritative, lucid, and truly pioneering work of cultural history about a major development in the evolution of European society.
The Book in the Renaissance
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"'It is more fun than a book on bibliography has any right to be: as well as emphasising what a cut-throat, pragmatic and disreputable business the early modern book trade was, it's a salient reminder of how little we really know about the subject.' (Alec Ryie, Times Higher Education Supplement) 'This is a book of remarkable scholarship, rich in detailed evidence... It is a book worth reading right through and then keeping for reference.' (Revd Dr Raymond Chapman, Church Times) 'The great joy of The Book in the Renaissance is that it paints a vivid, often surprising portrait of the West's first ventures into the publishing industry... Pettegree writes with wit and fluency and he combines a broad, continent-girdling perspective with more focused analyses: a section on the role of print in the development of Lutheranism, for instance, is masterly. This book will make specialists prick up their ears but it also has huge appeal for the general reader.' (Jonathon Wright, Catholic Herald)"
About the Author
Andrew Pettegree is Head of the School of History at the University of St Andrews, and founding director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. One of the pre-eminent Reformation scholars in Europe, he is the editor of The Reformation World and The Early Reformation in Europe, and author of Europe in the Sixteenth Century, among others.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Fini Lokke
Format:Hardcover
This book is a must for those in favour of books and print because it has drawn information and inspiration from the Internet. Without special knowledge of the revolutionary impact of print culture and book trade you really do not understand what Renaissance meant and still means. One of the very fine aspects of Pettegree's attitude to print is that he stresses the importance of everyday print which meant that small books after a while took over the book market that Venice had cultivated with large and expensive books. The book world became a world market and influenced all industry in the world, infrastructure and mail leading to the information revolution. The printed book is not just a phenomenon of the past because the principles in it still apply. The book itself is also an impressive example of modern bookmaking.
By kss
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Just bought this and I'm really looking forward to it. But don't buy the Kindle edition. The publishers haven't secured permission for many of the illustrations. I would have waited if it had been made clear on the site. Come on Amazon.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging and readable history of printing and the European book trade
22 Jun 2012
By Roman Clodia
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Pettegree has written a very readable history of printing and the pan-European book trade in the Renaissance. Strictly speaking, nothing here is new but it's helpful to have all this information collected in one place with related references.
It's not a history of the book as such so if that's what you're looking for something like A Companion to the History of the Book might be better. This takes us through the rediscovery of classical (mostly Latin) manuscripts by the early humanists such as Petrarch and Salutati, the development of the great Renaissance libraries under aristocratic and royal patrons, and the impact of the printing press. It inevitably concentrates a lot on Renaissance Italy and especially Venice as the centre of the printing `industry', though it does look at what is happening in the Low Countries, England etc. as well.
So this is an engaging read for both the specialist and the general reader.
It's not a history of the book as such so if that's what you're looking for something like A Companion to the History of the Book might be better. This takes us through the rediscovery of classical (mostly Latin) manuscripts by the early humanists such as Petrarch and Salutati, the development of the great Renaissance libraries under aristocratic and royal patrons, and the impact of the printing press. It inevitably concentrates a lot on Renaissance Italy and especially Venice as the centre of the printing `industry', though it does look at what is happening in the Low Countries, England etc. as well.
So this is an engaging read for both the specialist and the general reader.
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