Although the connection between the invention of printing and the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century has long been a scholarly commonplace, there is still a great deal of evidence about the relationship to be presented and analysed. This collection of authoritative reviews by distinguished historians deals with the role of the book in the spread of the Reformation all over the continent, identifying common European experiences and local peculiarities. It summarises important recent work on the topic from every major European country, introducing English-speakers to much important and previously inaccessible research.

John Calvin made a significant contribution to the world of early modern printing. Jean-Francois Gilmont, one of the foremost experts in the field, has thoroughly researched and presented all aspects of John Calvin's interaction with books - from the authors he read, to the works he wrote, to his relationships with the printing and publishing world of the sixteenth century. Originally in French, Karin Maag makes Gilmont's research available in this English translation.