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Gutenberg's Apprentice

Alix Christie

$26.99

Paperback

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English
Headline
08 September 2015
In the middle of the 15th century, scribe Peter Schoeffer is dismayed to be instructed by his father to give up his beloved profession of illuminating texts in Paris. Instead he is to travel to Mainz in Germany to be apprenticed to Johann Gutenberg, an entrepreneur who has invented a new process for producing books - the printing press.

Working in conditions of extreme secrecy, the men employed by Gutenberg daily face new challenges both artistic and physical as they strive to create the new books to the standard required by their master. In a time of huge turmoil in Europe and around the world, Gutenberg is relentless in pursuing his dream and wooing the powerful religious leaders whose support is critical. Peter's resistance to the project slowly dissolves as he sees that, with the guidance of a scribe such as himself, the new Bibles could be as beautiful in their way as the old.

Today we can see that beauty in some of our museums, but few know the astonishing tale of ambition, ruthlessness and triumph that lies behind it.

By:  
Imprint:   Headline
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 197mm,  Width: 132mm,  Spine: 27mm
Weight:   279g
ISBN:   9781472220158
ISBN 10:   1472220153
Pages:   416
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Alix Christie is a journalist and writer based in London who has previously lived in the US, Paris and Berlin. She has been a reporter and foreign correspondent for many years, and published widely in major international media, currently for The Economist. She is a passionate printer and has researched the novel in detail over the last five years, bringing her personal experience to her descriptions of the travails of the early printers.

Reviews for Gutenberg's Apprentice

'As beautifully written as the printed pages it describes, this is an intelligent, masterful novel that immerses the reader in a fascinating historical time and place' -- Rosamund Lupton 'So rich and gorgeous it is making me dizzy' -- Lucy Mangan 'A deep, immersive recreation of a pivotal moment in history and a bold exploration of an eternal theme: the madness, rivalry, torment and ecstasy of creation' -- A. D. Miller The Economist 'Deftly chronicled ... Christie masterfully depicts the time and energy required to print the first Bibles... A bravura debut' Kirkus 'Gorgeously written... An inspiring tale of ambition, camaraderie, betrayal, and cultural transformation based on actual events and people, this wonderful novel fully inhabits its age' Booklist 'I loved this novel! Alix Christie's debut is intensely observed, so much that I felt in the dark rooms of history with the people laboring over the metal and words to bring us print, but also laboring over their own lives and love and survival' -- Susan Straight


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