PDF #65 – Brian Shetler – William Caxton The Merchant Printer
Had William Caxton done no more than introduce the art of printing to England, his place in history would still be solidly entrenched. Had he been just another book merchant, he would not have made the same prolonged impact on English culture as he did. It was the many roles that he served, and the visionary approach that he had, that made for a true and lasting effect on English culture. His dual nature, that of both merchant and printer, combined to create a man perfectly suited to influence, maybe even create, the reading public of 15th Century England.