Originally published in 1906, and based on The Sandars Lectures from 1899 and 1904, this volume provides a historical study of the publishing industry in London. The first section of the book, derived from the 1899 Lectures, covers the period from 1476, when Caxton set up his printing press at Westminster, to around 1500, when a series of essential changes took place in the English book-trade. The second section, derived from the 1904 lectures, covers the period from 1501 to 1535, covering the important 1534 Printing Act passed during the twenty-fifth year of Henry VIII's reign. The sections are concise but highly informative, containing analyses of the key figures in the inception of English printing, together with a number of illustrative examples. This is a fascinating text that will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of printing.