Craftland - by James Fox (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An "impassioned and inspiring account of the extraordinary men and women still doing traditional artisanal work" (The Sunday Times) in the face of massive technological industrialization--by renowned Cambridge art historian Dr. James Fox.

"Beautifully written and (charmingly illustrated) . . . His chronicle of the decline of the traditional trades is staggering."--The Wall Street Journal

During an age of mass manufacturing, fast fashion, synthetic materials and the unsustainable practice of companies valuing quantity over quality, a return to tradition, connection, and simplicity is essential.

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, 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.

Review Quotes

"Craftland . . . is an impassioned and inspiring account of the extraordinary men and women still doing traditional artisanal work in Britain . . . [Fox] has a great eye for a telling detail."--The Sunday Times

"Craftland is a book that shimmers with love for a dwindling world of meticulous, patient labour . . . Deftly written and well researched."--The Guardian

Beautifully written and (charmingly illustrated) . . . His chronicle of the decline of the traditional trades is staggering."--The Wall Street Journal

James Fox's superb new book Craftland . . . brings his critical intelligence to platform the usually silent process of mastering a craft."--New Statesman

"Craftland is a rare achievement--part cultural study, part love letter, part preservation effort . . . It's a book for anyone who cares about heritage, hardworking and authenticity. It's a thoughtful, beautifully rendered tribute to the hands and minds that make the world."--Mrwatchmaster

"It is so rare to come across a book brimming with fresh news and seasoned with hope. James Fox uncovers a largely hidden history which is still alive all around us today. I read it in two gulps with delight."--Andrew Marr, British broadcast journalist and author of The Making of Modern Britain

"A dazzling combination of evocative prose and meticulous research, Craftland is an impassioned undertaking and novel portrait of the country's past and how we might rethink our future."--Kate Bryan, author of How to Art

"Absolutely wonderful. I absolutely love it! He's describing a mostly lost world, but it seems more relevant almost by the hour; globalization and modernization are never far from my thoughts, and in these incredibly specific and fascinating stories, I feel like I'm discovering the origins of the modern world around me."--Xand van Tulleken, co-host of A Thorough Examination and contributor to BBC Morning Live

"This hugely absorbing book is full of stories of crafts, craftspeople, communities, and creativity over the ages. They are such important stories to tell, and they are told so compellingly. Wonderful."--Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse

This book unexpectedly rewired my brain . . . Each story of craft, each person he spoke to, is so deeply interesting . . . I could not put it down."--Book Riot

About the Author

Dr. James Fox is a Cambridge art historian, writer, public speaker, curator, and multi-award-winning, BAFTA-nominated broadcaster. He has previously held positions at Harvard and Yale. He is currently director of studies in History of Art at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, creative director of the Hugo Burge Foundation, director of education at the Jeffrey Rubinoff Sculpture Park in Canada, and president of the Friends of the Stanley Spencer Gallery. He is the author of The World According to Color, named "Book of the Year" by the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, New Statesman, Spectator, and Art Newspaper. He lives in London.