Home >Mastercrafts: Rediscover British Craftsmanship

Mastercrafts: Rediscover British Craftsmanship

By (author) Tom Quinn

Code: 202740

In stock

Hardback : 256 pages

Publisher : David & Charles ( 12 Feb 2010 )

ISBN-13: 978-0-71533-643-4

AS SEEN ON BBC2

Mastercrafts by Tom Quinn is a major new exploration of traditional British craftsmanship, accompanying the prime time BBC2 TV series presented by Monty Don.

The book and TV series celebrate all aspects of rural crafts including woodcraft, thatching, weaving, stone masonry, metalwork and glass making.

Look inside the Mastercrafts book

Here is what Robin Wood, Chair of the Heritage Crafts Association, has said about the book - "There is a great interest in traditional crafts today, although many of these skills, which are part of our living heritage, remain undervalued and endangered. Mastercrafts shows the dedication that is needed to master these wonderful techniques. The book is more than just a record of the series, it digs deeper into the raw materials, skills, history and heritage of each craft, putting it into a wider context. Perhaps fitting for a book about crafts, the photography and design are beautiful and it was printed by an old established firm in the UK too."

The BBC TV series Mastercrafts has given the opportunity for unskilled enthusiasts in six traditional crafts to learn intensively from a master. Following the crafts explored in the TV series, the Mastercrafts book tells the fascinating history of craftsmanship and describes how, despite modern materials and mass production techniques, highly skilled craftspeople continue to make exquisite crafted objects by hand.

Showcases some of Britain's leading master craftsmen and women and explains the techniques at the heart of their trades.
Reveals the facinating history of British craftsmanship, inspiring interest and involvement in these valuable and rewarding crafts.
Mastercrafts represents a major shift in attitudes towards hand-made, sustainable crafted products rather than cheap mass-produced items.

This audio slide-show introduces the master craftsmen and women who act as mentors to the trainees in the television series.

and on

and via The British Crafts Blog

RUBooks also recommends Craft & Design a vibrant bi-monthly magazine all about British Crafts, with up to the minute features and down to earth information.

About the Author

Tom Quinn is a writer, editor and a social historian. He is the author of the bestselling Memories of Steam and Tales of the Old Railwaymen, as well as books on countryside history, antique collecting, fishing and walking. He is currently the editor of Country Landowner magazine and former editor of The Countryman.