Agency and intention in English print, 1476-1526

Viac o knihe

This innovative study explores the intellectual and material traditions of England's early press, spanning from William Caxton to Thomas Berthelet. It presents a new framework for understanding early print that connects the study of print with literature, manuscripts with printed books, and pre- with post-1500 textual cultures. Focusing on medieval texts and ideas, it reveals that English print was integral to a vibrant tradition of late medieval textual production in the half-century before the Reformation. Central to this tradition was the expression of ethical agency through the creation of texts and books, highlighting how early printed works reflected the moral and cultural commitments of individual printers. By examining various genres—history, religious instruction, hagiography, law, and translation—the study illuminates the contexts in which early printers operated, including mercantile politics, civic law, and theological economics. It draws on bibliographical evidence from key figures like Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde, Richard Pynson, John Rastell, and Thomas Berthelet, alongside close readings of texts and contextual materials. Ultimately, this work posits that the history of the material book is intertwined with an intellectual history of agency and textual production.