the first illustrated book to be printed in England was a popular encyclopaedia called mirror of the world. it was published by one william caxton in 1481, who introduced the art of printing to england. favorite quote: encyclopaedic texts were very popular throughout the Middle Ages. During this period it was commonly believed that it was possible to create one volume digests of all knowledge. and perhaps it was. it’s presented courtesy of the university of glascow’s amazing book of the month section, which i’ve been shamelessly keeping to myself for a while now. its archives, which dates back to 1999, contain some really gorgeous volumes. check it.