Johann Gutenberg (1398-1468). 1869 illustration of the German inventor of the printing press Johann Gutenberg. Before Gutenberg, books were laboriously produced by hand. Their number was small and their availability confined to universities, monasteries and the very rich. Gutenberg's Bible was the first printed book. It is considered to be the most beautiful book ever printed and remains the most valued. Gutenberg went into debt producing it and was sued for the money. He lost the case and his tools, and the press and the bibles were seized. Having revolutionized the world, he died in poverty.