First Printed Book in England: Caxton's Press Delivers
William Caxton didn't just print a book — he chose this one deliberately. *Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres*, a collection of ancient wisdom translated by Earl Rivers, became England's first printed text. But Caxton cheekily added his own footnote criticizing Rivers' translation. Petty editorial drama, immortalized in ink. Before this, copying a single manuscript took months. Now, dozens of copies. England's reading world cracked open overnight. And that sly editorial jab? It's still there, preserved in every surviving copy — the first printed opinion in English history.
November 18, 1477
549 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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