Craftland: In Search of Lost Arts and Disappearing Trades
by James Fox
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Description
"Art historian and award-winning broadcaster Dr. James Fox explores the rapidly fading crafts and artisanal traditions of the world--such as coopering, basket-weaving, wheelwrighting, metalwork, and blacksmithing--that have shaped so much of our history through their alchemy of the hand-made human touch and generational wisdom. Fox explains the history of craftsmanship in Britain, taking readers across the lands and communities that originated there, teaching them about the practices, show more traditions, and people at their heart. From coopers to thatchers, basket makers to bellfounders and dry wall builders, Fox tours Britain, once the workshop of the world, in search of its lost and disappearing craft traditions and the artisans trying to keep them alive including, a rush weaver who has managed to rebuild a sustainable business with her baskets and other wares, a bell foundry that uses the same practices it used in the nineteenth century, and dry wallers, building walls one piece of stone at a time that could last two centuries. Part travelogue and part historical record, Craftland is a profoundly intimate meditation on our human cultural heritage, exploring what we lose as these traditions fade from view in the race of progress, and what we stand to gain if we bring them back." -- show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Outstanding. My favourite book of 2025 so far. Meticulously researched and brilliantly told, from watchmaking to coopering, bodgers to bell founders, dry stone wallers to wheelwrights. Highly recommended.
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The Wainwright Prizes 2026
24 works; 1 member
Author Information
9 Works 297 Members
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Canonical LCC
- TT170.F69
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- 73
- Popularity
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- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
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