Printer's error : irreverent stories from book history

A funny and entertaining history of printed books as told through absurd moments in the lives of authors and printers, collected by television's favorite rare-book expert from HISTORY's hit series Pawn Stars.

Since the Gutenberg Bible first went on sale in 1455, printing has been viewed as one of the highest achievements of human innovation. But the march of progress hasn't been smooth; downright bizarre is more like it. Printer's Error chronicles some of the strangest and most humorous episodes in the history of Western printing, and makes clear that we've succeeded despite ourselves. Rare-book expert Rebecca Romney and author J. P. Romney take us from monasteries and museums to auction houses and libraries to introduce curious episodes in the history of print that have had a profound impact on our world.

Take, for example, the Gutenberg Bible. While the book is regarded as the first printed work in the Western world, Gutenberg's name doesn't appear anywhere on it. Today, Johannes Gutenberg is recognized as the father of Western printing. But for the first few hundred years after the invention of the printing press, no one knew who printed the first book. This long-standing mystery took researchers down a labyrinth of ancient archives and libraries, and unearthed surprising details, such as the fact that Gutenberg's financier sued him, repossessed his printing equipment, and started his own printing business afterward. Eventually the first printed book was tracked to the library of Cardinal Mazarin in France, and Gutenberg's forty-two-line Bible was finally credited to him, thus ensuring Gutenberg's name would be remembered by middle-school students worldwide.

Like the works of Sarah Vowell, John Hodgman, and Ken Jennings, Printer's Error is a rollicking ride through the annals of time and the printed word.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Rare-book dealer and Pawn Stars expert Rebecca Romney and her husband, writer J.P. Romney (The Monster on the Road Is Me), dive into the history of the printed book with this treasure trove of the stories behind legendary books and their authors. The duo discuss forgeries of works by Galileo and Shakespeare as well as the difficulties of verifying the first printed book in Western history, the Gutenberg Bible, which was never signed by printer Johannes Gutenberg, making copies nearly impossible to identify. Some readers will be surprised to learn that even the concept of authorship is a relatively new one; through the Middle Ages, writers were viewed as mere channels for the Almighty to communicate with, and thus went unpaid. As for copyright, today's authors have Charles Dickens to thank for fighting for both credit and proper remuneration for their efforts, according to the Romneys. Additional anecdotes-such as the story behind the creation of the revolutionary mapping technique called the Mercator Projection and the destruction of "one of the world's most beautiful fonts," the Doves Type-add breadth to this terrific collection. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

The role of printed books in Western civilization recounted in diverting essays that recapitulate some significant events in the annals of bibliomania.The RomneysRebecca is the rare-book expert on the History Channel's Pawn Stars; J.P. is a writer and historical researchertell the secrets of paper and ink, publishing and buying, selling and collecting printed books. The authors offer bright character sketches of the book world's saints and sinners, heroes and losers, savants and simple dopes. They reveal the ineluctable power of the printing press and the odd peccadilloes of antiquarian book people. They also include obligatory discussions of Gutenberg's Bible and Shakespeare's First Folio, which holds a certain "curse" in that "most of those who participated in the creation of Shakespeare's Folio were dead within four years." The drollery among the dusty bookshelves will attract general readers to the innocuous pleasures of bibliomania. Within the entertaining passages, the authors define terms like "incunabula," "colophon," and "ISBN" for the uninitiated, and they pay homage to renowned publishers across the years. Along with favorites of the bookish folk, the Romneys introduce characters like Marino Massimo De Caro, the talented rare-book forger; T.J. Cobden-Sanderson, who built and destroyed what has been called the most beautiful type font ever; and monastic Johannes Trithemius, defender of the art of handwriting against the advance of the new technology of the printing press. Here, too, is Mercator mapping the globe, Dickens pleading for royalties from America, and Mary Wollstonecraft serving as the model of a modern liberated lady. The authors' description of the printing and dissemination of Western literature, mythology, and science employs a vocabulary beyond the usual antiquarian lingo, employing occasional double-entendres and mildly naughty words for a contemporary readershipsome of the snarky parenthetical asides should amuse bibliomaniacal newbies. A spritely visit to the land of rare books. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

A rare-book specialist on a History Channel series and her author husband have put together a lively written, sometimes coarse (in language) history of printed books as told through the lives of authors and printers. It is well documented, drawing from a wide range of sources, dates, and languages, and it captures the changes in publishing and technology through the centuries. This will be enjoyed by readers with a great interest in publishing and esoteric information, which makes it more suitable for larger collections.--Meyers, Arthur Copyright 2017 Booklist

Library Journal Review

This engaging introduction to Western book history will whet the appetites of aspiring bibliophiles. The authors do not treat their subject matter too seriously; swearing and some mild juvenile humor are included. Highlights include the chapters on Marino Massimo De Caro's convincing forgery of Galileo's Sidereus Nuncius, Benjamin Franklin's printing career, and the history of printing Shakespeare's plays. Coauthor J.P. Romney also serves as narrator. His dry delivery suits the "irreverent" text well. Unfortunately, because the audiobook version doesn't include digital surrogates or descriptive text of the many images in the physical book, it is a poor substitute and not a strong alternative for those with vision impairment. VERDICT The purchase of the printed book is recommended over that of the audiobook. ["Written in an engaging, accessible style, these accounts will appeal to fans of Pawn Stars, as well as scholars of literature and printing history": LJ 2/1/17 review of the Harper hc.]-Julie Judkins, Univ. of North Texas, Denton © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Introduction What Do You Reckon This Is?	p. xi
Chapter 1 How to Forge a Rare Book	p. 1
Chapter 2 Forgetting Mr. Gooseflesh	p. 21
Chapter 3 Trees of Truth	p. 51
Chapter 4 Making the Round World Flat	p. 81
Chapter 5 Bad Shakespeare	p. 107
Chapter 6 Benjamin Franklin Makes It Rain	p. 135
Chapter 7 Angelic Visions and Deadly Terrors	p. 163
Chapter 8 The Memoir That Killed Her Memory	p. 195
Chapter 9 American Bookaneers	p. 213
Chapter 10 When Doves Cry	p. 235
Chapter 11 Blifter!	p. 259
Conclusion: Nothing More Deceptive than an Obvious Fact	p. 279
Acknowledgments	p. 285
Notes	p. 287
Index	p. 339

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