Description
1948 Third printing in French. Hardcover is in good condition with some minor wear along the sides. Spine has a couple small scuffs. No dust jacket. Pages are clean and binding is secure.
This 1948 third printing of Lang’s “L’affaire Plantin” offers a fascinating glimpse into the turbulent world of 16th-century printing and publishing. The book delves into the infamous “Plantin Affair,” a legal battle that embroiled the renowned Antwerp printer Christophe Plantin in a high-stakes confrontation with the Spanish Inquisition. As a Protestant operating in the Catholic-dominated Low Countries, Plantin walked a precarious line, secretly printing banned works while maintaining a facade of orthodoxy. Lang’s meticulously researched account brings this riveting episode to life, shedding light on the struggles of early modern intellectuals and the perils of censorship. For collectors, this French edition represents a significant artifact from the post-war era, when interest in the history of the book was resurging. Its well-preserved state, despite lacking the original dust jacket, makes it an attractive addition to any library focused on printing history or the intellectual battles of the Renaissance.
