Campaign Furniture

by Christopher Schwarz

For almost 200 years, simple and sturdy pieces of campaign furniture were used by people all over the globe, and yet this remarkable furniture style is now almost unknown to most woodworkers and furniture designers.

“Campaign Furniture” seeks to restore this style to its proper place by introducing woodworkers to the simple lines, robust joinery and ingenious hardware that characterize campaign pieces. With more than 400 photos and drawings to explain the foundations of the style, the book provides plans for nine piece of classic campaign furniture, from the classic stackable chests of drawers to folding Roorkee chairs and collapsible bookcases.

Genres: Woodwork, Reference, Nonfiction, Crafts, History

332 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ONLY modern book on building this style of furniture that I'm aware of. While there's a fair amount of repetition instructions, it's OK since it makes each project easier to follow. You can make most of the projects here with a minimum of tools. I'm am drawn towards the folding desk and the campaign chests since I move items on a regular basis when I have a large number of guests.

[Kevinch417 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall good book with some neat furniture. I know Chris Schwarz is focused on chair-making nowadays but I tend to like his books that focus on casework and "styles" of furniture like this book and the Anarchist Design Book. I hope he writes more!

Appendix B has an excerpt of a writing from the early 1900s about Indian Cabinetmakers. The language can be a bit shocking and incredibly ethnocentric (and racist). It's a product of its time for sure, but it was interesting to read regardless. I'm unlikely to build these projects anytime soon but there may be 1 or 2 I make in the far future. I really like the stacking campaign dresser.

If you enjoy Chris Schwarz's books, you know what to expect and you'll enjoy this book as well.

[Koen Crolla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a Lost Art Press book with some substance. It's not a rigorous historical treatise by any means, but at least it includes 1. enough information to give you a sense of what campaign furniture is and why it exists, and 2. things you can build.
And while campaign furniture is almost uniformly very ugly (and expensive, because of the brass hardware), it does look fun to build. I'll probably be giving the Roorkee chair and Schwarz's travelling bookcase a go in the future.

[Matt Danner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as good as we've come to expect from Christopher Schwarz and Lost Art Press. This book is a great combination of history and technique. The book covers more ground than the title suggests. Even if you don't think the topic interests you, you're bound to learn a great deal about furniture making in general.

[Joshua Korf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read. Schwarz gives the history of this unjustly overlooked breed of furniture and not only shows how to build it, but also gives advice on wood selection, hardware selection, and how such pieces can be utilized by those not on the campaign.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schwarz always writes down to earth on very scholarly subjects such as this. Not sure I’ll ever take the plunge into building any campaign furniture but it was interesting to read the history of it

[David Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally got around to reading cover to cover. Wonderful book of woodworking and furniture history and instruction.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating mixture of history and woodworking. Definitely the best woodworking book I own, and I can't wait to get started making some of my own furniture based on the information in the book. If nothing else, I need a collapsible bookshelf, because - collapsible bookshelf! What's not to love! But aside from that,

[Panzagl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable and clear.