A Companion to the Early Printed Book in Britain 1476-1558

The history of the book is now recognized as a field of central importance for understanding the cultural changes that swept through Tudor England. This companion aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the issues relevant to the early printed book covering the significant cultural social and technological developments from 1476 (the introduction of printing to England) to 1558 (the death of Mary Tudor). Divided into thematic sections (the printed book trade; the book as artefact; patrons purchasers and producers; and the cultural capital of print) it considers the social historical and cultural context of the rise of print; the printers of the period; the significant Latin trade and its effect on the English market; paper types bindings and woodcuts and other decorative features which create the packaged book; and the main sponsors and consumers of the printed book: merchants the lay clientele secular and religious clergy and the two Universities as well as secular colleges and chantries.