Johann Gutenberg

About this book

Although Johann Gutenberg's seminal invention of printing from movable metal type is well documented, very little is known about the man himself. In this fascinating and scholarly biography, Albert Kapr brought together a vast and widely dispersed literature to produce a revealing account of Gutenberg the individual. Acting as a historical detective, Kapr based his portrait on original documents and references, the majority of which are reproduced. He considers the different aspects of Gutenberg's life - inventor, technologist and artist - and considers his personality and achievements within a wide cultural and historical context. This is the first modern biography of Gutenberg to appear in English, and Albert Kapr revised and updated his text (originally published in 1986, second edition 1988) especially for this translation.