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Craftland: In Search of Lost Arts and Disappearing Trades
An enchanting and illuminating exploration of the history of craftsmanship and the world’s oldest craft traditions, documenting the rapid disappearances of time-honored practices and shedding light on artisanal work in the face of massive technological industrialization by renowned Cambridge art historian Dr. James Fox.
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.
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.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
May 3, 2026
** Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards 2025**
" Maybe it's time to realise that progress isn't actually progress."
"Traditional crafts are dying all the time, vanishing from our world like butterflies from our gardens and pubs from our high streets."
Simply a superb read!!
In a world of fast consumerism, climate change, diminishing direct communication and increased isolation, this exploration of the craft industries of past and present shines an antidote of positivity and a potential lifeline of hope.
James Fox has written a superb read exploring the crafts that are still surviving across the four nations and in some instances re-emerging to growing concerns; he does also look at the flip-side of the huge decline of a nation of specialised and skilled women and men who were the lifeblood of everyday living- a time without imports, mechanisation and carbon emissions.
That is not to say the life of an artisanal craftsperson is an easy choice. Often battling against diminished resources, limited market places and cheaper alternatives, this is the story of the heroes past and present preserving a skill set that could be lost forever.
Travelling from the Scottish Highlands to the southwest of England , onwards to the Chilterns, across to the Fens and much more, James Fox meets these heroes. and explores the history go their trades and their lives today. The prose is full of compassion and warmth, wonderfully observed details and a balance of reality and future hope. Personal favourites were the watch-makers and letter-cutters but that feels like a disservice to all the other incredible people featured who are equally sublime in what they produce.
For some of us, this is a book of childhood's passed and the acknowledgment of the disappearance of so much but for others this may well be a revelation of another world.
There is also an important recognition of the people who use a skill/craft for a living and the thousands who enjoy crafts as hobbies, as a mean of connection, keeping community events at the heart of where they live and pure joy. The distinction is recognised but both are valued.- no snobbery or elitism here. As long as we all value the time, love and dedication placed into each handmade creation around us then the world could be/should be a better place.
This is easily my factual book of 2025- (last year was Raising Hare)
Hugely recommended - a book that will educate and inform, entertain, yes, provide nostalgia for some but ultimately a beacon of hope and resilience
Quotes:
" In our fast-moving world we need these reference points; they give us assurance and stability from which we venture forth"
"Britain is still a craft land, if only we have the eyes to see this."
" Maybe it's time to realise that progress isn't actually progress."
"Traditional crafts are dying all the time, vanishing from our world like butterflies from our gardens and pubs from our high streets."
Simply a superb read!!
In a world of fast consumerism, climate change, diminishing direct communication and increased isolation, this exploration of the craft industries of past and present shines an antidote of positivity and a potential lifeline of hope.
James Fox has written a superb read exploring the crafts that are still surviving across the four nations and in some instances re-emerging to growing concerns; he does also look at the flip-side of the huge decline of a nation of specialised and skilled women and men who were the lifeblood of everyday living- a time without imports, mechanisation and carbon emissions.
That is not to say the life of an artisanal craftsperson is an easy choice. Often battling against diminished resources, limited market places and cheaper alternatives, this is the story of the heroes past and present preserving a skill set that could be lost forever.
Travelling from the Scottish Highlands to the southwest of England , onwards to the Chilterns, across to the Fens and much more, James Fox meets these heroes. and explores the history go their trades and their lives today. The prose is full of compassion and warmth, wonderfully observed details and a balance of reality and future hope. Personal favourites were the watch-makers and letter-cutters but that feels like a disservice to all the other incredible people featured who are equally sublime in what they produce.
For some of us, this is a book of childhood's passed and the acknowledgment of the disappearance of so much but for others this may well be a revelation of another world.
There is also an important recognition of the people who use a skill/craft for a living and the thousands who enjoy crafts as hobbies, as a mean of connection, keeping community events at the heart of where they live and pure joy. The distinction is recognised but both are valued.- no snobbery or elitism here. As long as we all value the time, love and dedication placed into each handmade creation around us then the world could be/should be a better place.
This is easily my factual book of 2025- (last year was Raising Hare)
Hugely recommended - a book that will educate and inform, entertain, yes, provide nostalgia for some but ultimately a beacon of hope and resilience
Quotes:
" In our fast-moving world we need these reference points; they give us assurance and stability from which we venture forth"
"Britain is still a craft land, if only we have the eyes to see this."
September 12, 2025
4.5 brilliantly, endlessly interesting journey through the crafts, labours, trades, work and artistry (who the hell can define "craft" really) of Britain. Reflecting our culture, industrialisation, fashions, technology, modern consumerism, rural v urban livelihoods, sustainability and traditions.
This book is a great mixture of personal stories, nerdy tool appreciation and a journey back through time. Both sad and hopeful, I'm delighted that these people and their stories are documented and celebrated here.
Scissors, watches, barrels, withy pots, dry stone walls, wheels, leather etc. What variety!
This book is a great mixture of personal stories, nerdy tool appreciation and a journey back through time. Both sad and hopeful, I'm delighted that these people and their stories are documented and celebrated here.
Scissors, watches, barrels, withy pots, dry stone walls, wheels, leather etc. What variety!
September 9, 2025
An endlessly fascinating combination of social history, travel, and crafting. Fox traverses the UK to tell us about the many crafts that are woven into the fabric of who we are and how we built our societies. But more than that - and key to making this such a good book - he meets the hardy few who are still preserving skills like rush weaving, watchmaking, and drystone walling. It is these people who bring the book to life.
Fox crucially avoids filtering these people and what they do through some nostalgic sepia - well, actually, they stop him as much as he stops himself. Every time he mentions the word art, or suggests that they take some pleasure from what they are doing, he is laughed out of the room. This is not about fun or leisure, this is work, it is livelihood. And really the only way these crafts will be preserved - indeed, the only reason they ever existed in the first place - is if they are needed.
Fox crucially avoids filtering these people and what they do through some nostalgic sepia - well, actually, they stop him as much as he stops himself. Every time he mentions the word art, or suggests that they take some pleasure from what they are doing, he is laughed out of the room. This is not about fun or leisure, this is work, it is livelihood. And really the only way these crafts will be preserved - indeed, the only reason they ever existed in the first place - is if they are needed.
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January 18, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was lucky enough to go and see James Fox when he toured this book in Bath. It was a wonderful evening filled with interesting anecdotes from this book, and when he opened up the floor for questions at the end, there was a real feeling of craft-community: like-minded people working to keep these crafts alive.
The book takes us on a tour of the UK, meeting different craftspeople and learning what they do and how much skill it takes. As someone interested in this sort of thing (I sew, crochet a little, and am a curious amateur at much more) it was right up my street. There are also a number of exquisite prints and illustrations throughout, and I even have the craft map of the British Isles poster up in my room!
I was lucky enough to go and see James Fox when he toured this book in Bath. It was a wonderful evening filled with interesting anecdotes from this book, and when he opened up the floor for questions at the end, there was a real feeling of craft-community: like-minded people working to keep these crafts alive.
The book takes us on a tour of the UK, meeting different craftspeople and learning what they do and how much skill it takes. As someone interested in this sort of thing (I sew, crochet a little, and am a curious amateur at much more) it was right up my street. There are also a number of exquisite prints and illustrations throughout, and I even have the craft map of the British Isles poster up in my room!
March 8, 2026
9/10 - this is a book full of many engaging stories and a fine overall concept. Enlightening on the histories, language, personal stories, relevance and geography of the craft trades of the UK. Not fully encyclopaedic but goes a long way to telling a comprehensive story. There were a few moments I worried he would drift into sentimentality about the crafts he discusses but this did not end up being the case. He gives plenty of the grim facts on working conditions, safety and life of the people who worked these crafts back in the day. He can also write - and yes, craft a story. The book itself is also beautifully designed in every detail along with a host of wonderful illustrations throughout.
April 20, 2026
I'm not sure why but I didn't like this as much as I was expecting to.
Whilst Fox covers interesting and varied vocations that are on the brink of dying out in the UK, I don't know whether it's his writing style or the format but I found myself drifting off and losing concentration more than once. I picked up on hints of repetition in the work so maybe this put me off a little.
All in all, a bit of a disappointing read for me of what I thought was going to be an absolute belter.
Never mind.
Whilst Fox covers interesting and varied vocations that are on the brink of dying out in the UK, I don't know whether it's his writing style or the format but I found myself drifting off and losing concentration more than once. I picked up on hints of repetition in the work so maybe this put me off a little.
All in all, a bit of a disappointing read for me of what I thought was going to be an absolute belter.
Never mind.
March 18, 2026
Beeb abridged version.
This read as a series of slighted, mildly misanthropic craftspeople and what are perceived as ignorant questions from the masses. Their incredible skill and hard work, the rarity of talent, though captivating - is buried under the frequent bluster. Probably a result of the abridgment.
This read as a series of slighted, mildly misanthropic craftspeople and what are perceived as ignorant questions from the masses. Their incredible skill and hard work, the rarity of talent, though captivating - is buried under the frequent bluster. Probably a result of the abridgment.
January 13, 2026
Fascinating, compulsive reading. Not, perhaps, the sort of description often applied to books about traditional crafts, but the art historian James Fox’s book about the many forms of human ingenuity and skill at making useful, often complex and frequently beautiful objects is just that. He sets out his stall in an excellent introduction: ‘Britain was once a craft land - a nation of workshops and studios, masters and apprentices; a society grounded in the act of making things by hand’, craft ‘wasn’t a quaint pastime (but) an engine of social and economic life’, but ‘has long been misunderstood and belittled as ‘the ‘minor’ or ‘mechanical arts’’.
Craftland is a highly effective corrective to that lazy narrative and is a remarkable celebration of skills and techniques developed over generations. It’s a necessarily selective survey, but the range of ‘lost arts and vanishing trades’ that Fox covers should be enough to convince any reader of the value that should be attributed to skilled craftsmen and women, of what we have lost, but also what has been preserved and the hope for the future represented by the rising generation of young artisans and makers.
There are several stand out moments and characters in Craftland, but the story of Roger Smith in the chapter called ‘The Watchmaker’s Apprentice’ is truly extraordinary.
Craftland is a highly effective corrective to that lazy narrative and is a remarkable celebration of skills and techniques developed over generations. It’s a necessarily selective survey, but the range of ‘lost arts and vanishing trades’ that Fox covers should be enough to convince any reader of the value that should be attributed to skilled craftsmen and women, of what we have lost, but also what has been preserved and the hope for the future represented by the rising generation of young artisans and makers.
There are several stand out moments and characters in Craftland, but the story of Roger Smith in the chapter called ‘The Watchmaker’s Apprentice’ is truly extraordinary.
January 17, 2026
An enjoyable exploration of various crafts from dry-stone walling to quilting. Some of the stories of craftspeople going against the grain of modernisation were surprisingly moving. But I didn’t feel that this book answered all the questions it raised: mainly, how can traditional craft be a template for more sustainable production if businesses are surviving primarily as novelties, catering to niche tourist/heritage markets? There’s definitely value in craft for its own sake (and as part of our shared heritage), but I felt that often arguments surrounding its place in our current post-Industrial economy felt a little muddled and romanticised at points.
However as a history of British craftsmanship, I really liked this — and also what a beautiful book!!
However as a history of British craftsmanship, I really liked this — and also what a beautiful book!!
November 12, 2025
It's been very difficult for me to find pride in being British in recent years. Fox is a beautiful writer and has provided me with a new perspective on the place where I live. I took a while to get through this because I've been so busy, but each chapter was so exciting and taught me so much.
p.s. I love dry stone walling
p.s. I love dry stone walling
February 15, 2026
“Humans are natural born craftspeople … Just watch a child shaping plasticine or stacking blocks, completely absorbed, mesmerised by their own power of transformation. They express something that far too many of us have grown out of or forgotten: that MAKING satisfies a deep and essential need, and so helps us feel truly human.” The author writes this on the final pages of his concluding chapter but I believe it should be on the very first page.
This is a fascinating, and very moving, book about the important role that making has played, and should continue to play, in our society. Unfortunately, it also charts the decline of Britain as a making/manufacturing superpower and how individuals have been left to maintain many of these disappearing skills and traditions.
UK governments talk about the importance of apprenticeships and technical skills education but continue to prioritise university education and academic as opposed to practical excellence. Parity of esteem, between academic and technical, is often talked about but, as of yet, never realised. This book should be required reading for all education ministers.
This is a fascinating, and very moving, book about the important role that making has played, and should continue to play, in our society. Unfortunately, it also charts the decline of Britain as a making/manufacturing superpower and how individuals have been left to maintain many of these disappearing skills and traditions.
UK governments talk about the importance of apprenticeships and technical skills education but continue to prioritise university education and academic as opposed to practical excellence. Parity of esteem, between academic and technical, is often talked about but, as of yet, never realised. This book should be required reading for all education ministers.
February 13, 2026
“We tend to think of craft as a luxury: a retirement pastime, a weekend course, a pretty object in a gift shop. But most of the world’s crafts originated as necessities. They fulfilled the most basic and essential human needs: providing people with clothes and footwear, furnishings and utensils, and the tools they needed for their livelihoods.
And yet, fast forward, and some of these crafts have been extinguished in favor for Aliexpress, etc.
Knowledge workers like myself—I’m always wondering if life would have turned out better, more meaningful, more long lasting if I was doing something else with my hands.
It’s a simple life, yeah. No Teams, green dots, “stay connected or die”... at the end of the day, something tangible that exists has happened. And yet, were these crafters always paid well? Maybe. “Andrew receives just £1.30 for each item, so he needs at least two hundred to make the day worthwhile. He works from dawn till dusk, pausing only for a flask of tea and a rectangle of leftover Christmas cake.”
And was it always “quaint”? We like to think so, and yet “In the first half of the nineteenth century, only 10 percent of the town’s fork-grinders reached the age of forty.”
One thing I really enjoyed was the idea of working with what is available to you and what the local land offers. In an “economic, ecological, and emotional sense.” Most of us have no clue what we are seeing when we look at nature today. We simply see: Rock. Bird. Tree. Bush. With zero clue as to what they actually are, what they do, or how it could be used.
Perhaps the past is sometimes the future.
“Modern technology isn’t only supplanting our hands but aping our thoughts, blurring distinctions between human life and artificial intelligence, physical reality and its virtual simulacra. This remarkable moment is creating opportunities but also anxieties. Despite living in a highly interconnected world, people feel increasingly estranged from their jobs, bodies, and surroundings. Craft, as many have already discovered, can be a powerful antidote. After all, what could be more grounding, more reassuringly real, than feeling a material between your fingers and turning it into something useful?”
And yet, fast forward, and some of these crafts have been extinguished in favor for Aliexpress, etc.
Knowledge workers like myself—I’m always wondering if life would have turned out better, more meaningful, more long lasting if I was doing something else with my hands.
It’s a simple life, yeah. No Teams, green dots, “stay connected or die”... at the end of the day, something tangible that exists has happened. And yet, were these crafters always paid well? Maybe. “Andrew receives just £1.30 for each item, so he needs at least two hundred to make the day worthwhile. He works from dawn till dusk, pausing only for a flask of tea and a rectangle of leftover Christmas cake.”
And was it always “quaint”? We like to think so, and yet “In the first half of the nineteenth century, only 10 percent of the town’s fork-grinders reached the age of forty.”
One thing I really enjoyed was the idea of working with what is available to you and what the local land offers. In an “economic, ecological, and emotional sense.” Most of us have no clue what we are seeing when we look at nature today. We simply see: Rock. Bird. Tree. Bush. With zero clue as to what they actually are, what they do, or how it could be used.
Perhaps the past is sometimes the future.
“Modern technology isn’t only supplanting our hands but aping our thoughts, blurring distinctions between human life and artificial intelligence, physical reality and its virtual simulacra. This remarkable moment is creating opportunities but also anxieties. Despite living in a highly interconnected world, people feel increasingly estranged from their jobs, bodies, and surroundings. Craft, as many have already discovered, can be a powerful antidote. After all, what could be more grounding, more reassuringly real, than feeling a material between your fingers and turning it into something useful?”
March 20, 2026
This was everything I hoped it would be! I loved all the ways the stories and examples in this book brushed up against my own life and experiences; that special magic of the right book at the right time, fitting up closely and moving with your thoughts. Just a very good experience!
I especially appreciated that whilst a very emotional book in places, Fox works hard not to become pityingly nostalgic or elegiac. Yes, it's sad if we lose the skills and knowledge and memory of an endangered heritage craft, and it's glorious when one can be saved from the brink, but you also can't keep a craft alive on sentiment alone - it needs to support a life, provide a livelihood, to keep its people going. I've felt the same way visiting the mills and potteries and breweries around where I grew up - yeah, it's sad we've lost (and are still losing) so much of these heritage industries, but it's also pretty nice to send our kids to school, and keep our fingers free of dangerous machinery, and have weekends off!
Anyway, I need to go and make something with my hands, now.
I especially appreciated that whilst a very emotional book in places, Fox works hard not to become pityingly nostalgic or elegiac. Yes, it's sad if we lose the skills and knowledge and memory of an endangered heritage craft, and it's glorious when one can be saved from the brink, but you also can't keep a craft alive on sentiment alone - it needs to support a life, provide a livelihood, to keep its people going. I've felt the same way visiting the mills and potteries and breweries around where I grew up - yeah, it's sad we've lost (and are still losing) so much of these heritage industries, but it's also pretty nice to send our kids to school, and keep our fingers free of dangerous machinery, and have weekends off!
Anyway, I need to go and make something with my hands, now.
April 1, 2026
I listened to the audio version of this book, and at one point I was so engrossed it that I missed my exit and drove on for some time before I realized my error. I was not at all sorry since I had more time to enjoy James Fox’s wonderful book. I am not British, so some of these crafts were not as familiar to me, but that did not lessen my enjoyment of the book at all. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the history of the various crafts described, as well as what is involved in creation of items as diverse as church bells, stone walls, watches, and casks…and I have a whole new appreciation for the skill involved in creating a pair of scissors.
April 16, 2026
Sooo interesting and right up my street! I would have loved to see other crafts being mentioned to do more with textiles and wool etc but that's just me! It is so interesting to find out about certain expressions as well, as they tell the story of certain crafts - or rather the story of crafts tells the story of language. This book does make you think about all sorts of issues and topics from a wide range like economics, environment, social, etc... it is an eye opener as well. I would definitely recommend it to just about anyone, and even more so to the younger generation.
April 7, 2026
I wasn't familiar with most of the time-honored crafts that James Fox discusses in Craftland. Fox interviews the few people still practicing the disappearing trades he features in his book. He interviews coopers, roof thatchers, basket weavers, dry-stone wall fitters, and more. In each profession the workers are humble, yet committed to continuing their trade. Many times it's a family trade done for generations. Fox writes with passion about each vocation bringing a clear picture of the skills involved. He reminds us of the value of handmade goods.
January 11, 2026
“After all, what could be more grounding, more reassuringly real, than feeling a material between your fingers and turning it into something useful?”
An engaging and eye-opening read, beautifully written with stories from craftspeople told as we travel through Britain.
I picked up this book after seeing it on display at Waterstones, thinking there would be more focus on the textile industry. In reality it touched on it only briefly, however it didn’t disappoint and instead opened my mind up to different meanings of the word ‘Craft’ - seeing it through the eyes of skilled craftsmen who do it for their livelihood instead of myself and most others who craft for leisure.
I didn’t think I’d ever find myself being interested in dry stone walling or watch-making, but each chapter was fascinating and I enjoyed learning about crafts that I’d never put much/any thought into (e.g. how a bell, a cask or leather is made).
It gave me a deeper appreciation of my surroundings and its history, as well as the effort and time that has gone into shaping it. I smiled throughout the last 2 chapters where we visit the city I spent 3 years in at university to learn about the steel industry, and then in the final chapter, speaking to a Sofer (a Jewish scribe) on the very high street I grew up on, showing that craftsmanship really is everywhere you look.
"Most of the world’s problems have been caused by obsession with speed, growth, profit and productivity. Maybe it’s time to realise that progress isn’t actually progress" - Jof Hicks
It left me feeling slightly sad, questioning how we can still make space for these dying crafts in a world where efficiency and mass production are prioritised, but it also serves as a small reminder to shop locally and sustainably, or even handmade, and to look after what we have instead of viewing them as disposable.
An engaging and eye-opening read, beautifully written with stories from craftspeople told as we travel through Britain.
I picked up this book after seeing it on display at Waterstones, thinking there would be more focus on the textile industry. In reality it touched on it only briefly, however it didn’t disappoint and instead opened my mind up to different meanings of the word ‘Craft’ - seeing it through the eyes of skilled craftsmen who do it for their livelihood instead of myself and most others who craft for leisure.
I didn’t think I’d ever find myself being interested in dry stone walling or watch-making, but each chapter was fascinating and I enjoyed learning about crafts that I’d never put much/any thought into (e.g. how a bell, a cask or leather is made).
It gave me a deeper appreciation of my surroundings and its history, as well as the effort and time that has gone into shaping it. I smiled throughout the last 2 chapters where we visit the city I spent 3 years in at university to learn about the steel industry, and then in the final chapter, speaking to a Sofer (a Jewish scribe) on the very high street I grew up on, showing that craftsmanship really is everywhere you look.
"Most of the world’s problems have been caused by obsession with speed, growth, profit and productivity. Maybe it’s time to realise that progress isn’t actually progress" - Jof Hicks
It left me feeling slightly sad, questioning how we can still make space for these dying crafts in a world where efficiency and mass production are prioritised, but it also serves as a small reminder to shop locally and sustainably, or even handmade, and to look after what we have instead of viewing them as disposable.
December 6, 2025
A lively and engaging exploration of some of the UK's vanishing traditional crafts, told through the stories of some of the people (and places) keeping these trades alive. Fox has a personable style, and while he is only able to give a brief overview of a selected few crafts, his obvious passion for his project shines through and makes you want to find out more. The illustrations also help bring some of the more obscure terminology to life.
Part art and social history and part travelogue, Craftland is an enjoyable read.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Part art and social history and part travelogue, Craftland is an enjoyable read.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
May 10, 2026
A lot of food for thought here- this is a look at the history of England through the lens of the skills that have been lost to technological innovation. He talks about the history of each skill, then when possible finds someone still working in said trade. He also has a chapter about immigrants to England, and what trades they've brought with them, which I really liked. A very thoughtful look at what used to be.
November 1, 2025
This was a little gem of a book. A fascinating journey into the trades of dry stone walling and watchmaking to name but a few. So sad that nowadays we just buy and sell coffee to each other.
February 5, 2026
I listened to the abridged version of this on Radio 4. James Fox visits a selection of craftspeople across the British Isles in selected industries that are fading or threatened, with very few practitioners. What I found so encouraging is that as we move to a more green economy, craft can become an industry for the future.
November 21, 2025
Such a beautiful book about crafts & how they tie us to whenua !!! And epic in the UK context. Such a cool read and felt really inspired & cool to hear people share their stories about how they live in active reciprocal relationship w the land and actually everything is better off for it !! Awesome stuff
Read
February 3, 2026very interesting book of the week on radio 4. too abridged to give a star rating.
February 18, 2026
A fascinating read about the vanishing skills and traditions that used to dominate the country. We used to be a nation of workshops and studios,masters and apprentices;a society grounded in making things by hand .Can we get back to the skills we used to have?!
May 11, 2026
A wonderful exploration of the traditional crafts of Britain. This will go down as one of my favourite books of the year.
April 17, 2026
I listened to the audio version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it, I found it surprisingly moving in a couple of places. I really want to get the book now because it sounds so beautiful.
November 15, 2025
Incredibly good and beautifully written book.
January 3, 2026
An interesting anthology of long last trades in Britain, from roof thatching to wheelwrighters to bellfounders to scissor makers and beyond. Each chapter is relatively short, making this one of those books that are easy to stop and pick up again. My major gripe is that Fox’s prose lurches somewhat unpredictably from the straightforward nonfiction narration (for his descriptions of craftspeople and historical context) to that of an overwritten D&D recap (for his first person perspectives). Very occasionally, it stretches into the inspired. Second minor criticism would be the structure of his chapters always seem to end the same way — about how things are generally now changing for the better with some niche revivalist movement. All in all, still a worthwhile read. 3.5 stars
February 8, 2026
This books was overall good. But I think there were as many instances of it lacking nuance as there were moments of meaningful insights. Overall it was a book that delivered on its premise but maybe not on its promise
February 11, 2026
Very mixed feelings on this one. It is best when it is really focused on describing the various crafts and the people who engage with them. And there is an impressive amount of effort that certainly went into finding and interviewing all of the people whose stories are highlighted in this book. But a lot of what the author writes about the broader context of these crafts has issues in my opinion.
For one, there is an air of grievance to how he writes about the social changes that have led to the decline of crafts in Britain, ignoring the equal if not greater damage to traditional craft ways in other parts of the world as a result of British/European imperialism, the fact that Britain was at the heart of the industrial revolution that displaced many craft traditions, and that British society as a whole continues to have a disproportionate level of wealth, influence and power as a result of these factors, and a standard of living that far exceeds that of their ancestors as well as many people alive today in other parts of the world. There's also some wonkiness about time and the true traditional depths to some of the highlighted crafts; there's a frequent appeal to the idea that craft traditions are valuable because of how long they have been passed down and refined over time, even when further writing actually undercuts this claim. For example, on the section about dry stone walling, he starts by talking about the neolithic settlers of Britain who used walls to set field boundaries and keep livestock, but then immediately goes on to describe how the vast majority of walls that are now regarded as such a traditional part of the English landscape go back only to the 1700s and a period when the wealthy and powerful were seizing once commonly held land for their own good. And even though the industrial revolution is often brought up as a period of disruption to crafts generally, many of the crafts highlighted in this book really only date back to then, or slightly earlier, from the bodgers turning wooden parts that were just one component of chairs assembled in factories in a proto-assembly-line style, to the numerous specialized trades related to metal in Sheffield. In fact, the introduction waxes poetic about the regional specialisms of the British isle, ignoring the fact that such specialization could only exist in a highly interconnected, market based economy which was already far from the vision presented of every community hosting its own blacksmith, cooper, wheelwright, etc. (regarding blacksmiths in particular, tinkers, itinerant sellers and menders of metal goods, existed exactly because not every locale had a blacksmith).
For one, there is an air of grievance to how he writes about the social changes that have led to the decline of crafts in Britain, ignoring the equal if not greater damage to traditional craft ways in other parts of the world as a result of British/European imperialism, the fact that Britain was at the heart of the industrial revolution that displaced many craft traditions, and that British society as a whole continues to have a disproportionate level of wealth, influence and power as a result of these factors, and a standard of living that far exceeds that of their ancestors as well as many people alive today in other parts of the world. There's also some wonkiness about time and the true traditional depths to some of the highlighted crafts; there's a frequent appeal to the idea that craft traditions are valuable because of how long they have been passed down and refined over time, even when further writing actually undercuts this claim. For example, on the section about dry stone walling, he starts by talking about the neolithic settlers of Britain who used walls to set field boundaries and keep livestock, but then immediately goes on to describe how the vast majority of walls that are now regarded as such a traditional part of the English landscape go back only to the 1700s and a period when the wealthy and powerful were seizing once commonly held land for their own good. And even though the industrial revolution is often brought up as a period of disruption to crafts generally, many of the crafts highlighted in this book really only date back to then, or slightly earlier, from the bodgers turning wooden parts that were just one component of chairs assembled in factories in a proto-assembly-line style, to the numerous specialized trades related to metal in Sheffield. In fact, the introduction waxes poetic about the regional specialisms of the British isle, ignoring the fact that such specialization could only exist in a highly interconnected, market based economy which was already far from the vision presented of every community hosting its own blacksmith, cooper, wheelwright, etc. (regarding blacksmiths in particular, tinkers, itinerant sellers and menders of metal goods, existed exactly because not every locale had a blacksmith).
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