Gutenberg's Apprentice [Signed First Edition]

Christie, Alix

ISBN 10: 0062336010 / ISBN 13: 9780062336019

Published by HarperCollins, New York, 2014

About this Item

GUTENBERG'S APPRENTICE, Alix Christie, hardcover with unclipped dust jacket, stated first edition, stated first printing, signed by author, 2014. BOOK CONDITION: fine. The text block is in fine condition with no dogears, tears, or marks. Signed by the author on the title page. There is no book plate nor signature of prior owner. Not a remainder or library book. The red and black boards are in fine condition (bumped spine). The dust jacket is in fine condition and is inside a Mylar cover. 9 ¼ x 6 1/4, 406 pages, 20 ounces XX [From the jacket flaps] An enthralling literary debut that evokes one of the most momentous events in history, the birth of printing in medieval Germany?a story of invention, intrigue, and betrayal. Youthful, ambitious Peter Schoeffer is on the verge of professional success as a scribe in Paris when his foster father, the wealthy merchant and bookseller Johann Fust, summons him home to corruption-riddled, feud-plagued Mainz to meet "a most amazing man." Johann Gutenberg, a driven and caustic inventor, has devised a revolutionary?and, to some, blasphemous?method of bookmaking: a machine he calls a printing press. Fust is financing Gutenberg's workshop, and he orders Peter to become Gutenberg's apprentice. Resentful at having to abandon a prestigious career as a scribe, Peter begins his education in the "darkest art." As his skill grows, so too does his admiration for Gutenberg and his dedication to their daring venture: printing copies of the Holy Bible. But when outside forces align against them, Peter finds himself torn between two father figures?the generous Fust and the brilliant, mercurial Gutenberg, who inspires Peter to achieve his own mastery. Caught between the genius and the merchant, the old ways and the new, Peter and the men he admires must work together to prevail against overwhelming obstacles in a battle that will change history . and irrevocably transform them all. ALIX CHRISTIE is an author, journalist, and letterpress printer. She learned the craft as an apprentice to two master California printers and owns and operates a 1910 Chandler & Price letterpress. She holds a master of fine arts degree from Saint Mary's College of California and currently lives in London, where she reviews books and arts for the Economist. Gutenberg's Apprentice is her first novel.

Seller Inventory # 001941

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Gutenberg's Apprentice [Signed First Edition]
• Publisher: HarperCollins, New York
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062336010
• ISBN 13: 9780062336019
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Weight: 20 ounces
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

An enthralling literary debut that evokes one of the most momentous events in history, the birth of printing in medieval Germany—a story of invention, intrigue, and betrayal, rich in atmosphere and historical detail, told through the lives of the three men who made it possible.

Youthful, ambitious Peter Schoeffer is on the verge of professional success as a scribe in Paris when his foster father, wealthy merchant and bookseller Johann Fust, summons him home to corrupt, feud-plagued Mainz to meet “a most amazing man.”

Johann Gutenberg, a driven and caustic inventor, has devised a revolutionary—and to some, blasphemous—method of bookmaking: a machine he calls a printing press. Fust is financing Gutenberg’s workshop and he orders Peter, his adopted son, to become Gutenberg’s apprentice. Resentful at having to abandon a prestigious career as a scribe, Peter begins his education in the “darkest art.”

As his skill grows, so, too, does his admiration for Gutenberg and his dedication to their daring venture: copies of the Holy Bible. But mechanical difficulties and the crushing power of the Catholic Church threaten their work. As outside forces align against them, Peter finds himself torn between two father figures: the generous Fust, who saved him from poverty after his mother died; and the brilliant, mercurial Gutenberg, who inspires Peter to achieve his own mastery.

Caught between the genius and the merchant, the old ways and the new, Peter and the men he admires must work together to prevail against overwhelming obstacles—a battle that will change history . . . and irrevocably transform them.

About the Author

Alix Christie is an author, journalist, and letterpress printer. She learned the craft as an apprentice to two master California printers, and owns and operates a 1910 Chandler & Price letterpress. She holds a master of fine arts degree from Saint Mary's College of California and lives in London, where she reviews books and arts for The Economist. Gutenberg's Apprentice is her first novel.