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Craftland: A Journey Through Britain’s Lost Arts and Vanishing Trades
Brought to you by Penguin.
Britain was once a craft land. For generations what we made with our hands shaped our identities, built our communities and defined our regions. Craftland chronicles the vanishing skills and traditions that used to govern every aspect of life on these shores.
From the Isles of Scilly to the Scottish Highlands, James Fox travels the length of Britain to seek out the country’s last great craftspeople.
Stepping inside the workshops of blacksmiths and wheelwrights, cutlers and coopers, bellfounders and watchmakers, we glimpse not only our past but another way of one that is not yet lost and might still shape our future.
For as long as there are humans, there will be craft. It is all around us, hiding in plain sight, animating even the most ordinary things. Fox shows that Britain is still a craft land, if only we have eyes to see it.
'Full of stories of crafts and craftspeople and communities, and creativity over the ages. Wonderful' MICHAEL MORPURGO
'Beautiful, eye-opening and surprisingly moving - a treat to treasure' LUCY WORSLEY
'This extraordinary book will leave you awestruck' XAND VAN TULLEKEN
'Brimming with fresh news and seasoned with hope. I read it in two gulps with delight' ANDREW MARR
James Fox 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Britain was once a craft land. For generations what we made with our hands shaped our identities, built our communities and defined our regions. Craftland chronicles the vanishing skills and traditions that used to govern every aspect of life on these shores.
From the Isles of Scilly to the Scottish Highlands, James Fox travels the length of Britain to seek out the country’s last great craftspeople.
Stepping inside the workshops of blacksmiths and wheelwrights, cutlers and coopers, bellfounders and watchmakers, we glimpse not only our past but another way of one that is not yet lost and might still shape our future.
For as long as there are humans, there will be craft. It is all around us, hiding in plain sight, animating even the most ordinary things. Fox shows that Britain is still a craft land, if only we have eyes to see it.
'Full of stories of crafts and craftspeople and communities, and creativity over the ages. Wonderful' MICHAEL MORPURGO
'Beautiful, eye-opening and surprisingly moving - a treat to treasure' LUCY WORSLEY
'This extraordinary book will leave you awestruck' XAND VAN TULLEKEN
'Brimming with fresh news and seasoned with hope. I read it in two gulps with delight' ANDREW MARR
James Fox 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Audible Audio
Published September 4, 2025
83 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 7, 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!
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
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*
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.
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
November 15, 2025
Incredibly good and beautifully written book.
September 29, 2025
Craftland: In Search of Lost Arts and Disappearing Trades
by James Fox
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)
Thanks to Crown Publishing for the ARC! 🙏📚
Vibe Check: thoughtful 🪵, slow-paced 🚶, beautifully researched 🎨, part travelogue/part history 🌍, bittersweet meditation on vanishing traditions 🕯️.
What I Liked:
• A fascinating catalog of crafts like coopering, basket weaving, thatching, and bellfounding 🧺🔔
• Evokes the charm of rural Britain and its heritage landscapes 🌿🏡
• Blends history with modern observations of artisans still keeping traditions alive 🛠️
• Raises important questions about sustainability and what we lose in the rush toward mass production 🌍
• Reads like a quiet love letter to the art of making things with our hands ✋
What Didn’t Work for Me:
• Pacing is very leisurely, sometimes meandering 🐌
• Could feel a little repetitive in its structure (craft → artisan → reflection) 🔄
• More descriptive than analytical—sometimes I wanted deeper exploration of the “why” behind these crafts fading 🕵️
• Not always emotionally gripping; more of a contemplative wander than a narrative drive 🌫️
Tropes/Elements:
• Disappearing traditions ⏳
• Travel + history hybrid 🚂
• Crafts as cultural memory 🪡
• Quiet sustainability themes 🌱
Final Word: Craftland is equal parts travelogue and elegy for the handmade. It won’t be for everyone—it’s slow and reflective rather than dramatic—but if you’re drawn to history, heritage, or the romance of lost skills, it’s a gentle and thoughtful read that might spark a new appreciation for what we’re losing in a mass-produced world.
by James Fox
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)
Thanks to Crown Publishing for the ARC! 🙏📚
Vibe Check: thoughtful 🪵, slow-paced 🚶, beautifully researched 🎨, part travelogue/part history 🌍, bittersweet meditation on vanishing traditions 🕯️.
What I Liked:
• A fascinating catalog of crafts like coopering, basket weaving, thatching, and bellfounding 🧺🔔
• Evokes the charm of rural Britain and its heritage landscapes 🌿🏡
• Blends history with modern observations of artisans still keeping traditions alive 🛠️
• Raises important questions about sustainability and what we lose in the rush toward mass production 🌍
• Reads like a quiet love letter to the art of making things with our hands ✋
What Didn’t Work for Me:
• Pacing is very leisurely, sometimes meandering 🐌
• Could feel a little repetitive in its structure (craft → artisan → reflection) 🔄
• More descriptive than analytical—sometimes I wanted deeper exploration of the “why” behind these crafts fading 🕵️
• Not always emotionally gripping; more of a contemplative wander than a narrative drive 🌫️
Tropes/Elements:
• Disappearing traditions ⏳
• Travel + history hybrid 🚂
• Crafts as cultural memory 🪡
• Quiet sustainability themes 🌱
Final Word: Craftland is equal parts travelogue and elegy for the handmade. It won’t be for everyone—it’s slow and reflective rather than dramatic—but if you’re drawn to history, heritage, or the romance of lost skills, it’s a gentle and thoughtful read that might spark a new appreciation for what we’re losing in a mass-produced world.
January 2, 2026
I have rarely come across a book that has resonated with me quite as deeply as this one.
My own work is maturing cheese, a slightly odd occupation perhaps, but one rooted in craft, patience, failure, repetition, and people. Reading this book, I found myself nodding along far more than I expected. The challenges, doubts, and quiet moments of pride described here feel familiar to anyone who makes something by hand, whatever the discipline.
When I talk about cheese, I often speak about people and heritage. About why things are made the way they are, where they come from, and who is still making them today. What this book made me realise is how rarely I look beyond my own industry. This opened my eyes to the wider world of making and craft, and reminded me how connected all of it really is.
It has changed the way I look at objects and places. I now find myself asking why something exists, how it came to be, whether it has always been made that way, and who is still carrying that knowledge forward. Those small questions are powerful, and this book encourages you to keep asking them.
The writing is thoughtful, calm, and genuinely inspiring. I am very glad it caught my eye in a bookshop. It will stay with me for a long time
My own work is maturing cheese, a slightly odd occupation perhaps, but one rooted in craft, patience, failure, repetition, and people. Reading this book, I found myself nodding along far more than I expected. The challenges, doubts, and quiet moments of pride described here feel familiar to anyone who makes something by hand, whatever the discipline.
When I talk about cheese, I often speak about people and heritage. About why things are made the way they are, where they come from, and who is still making them today. What this book made me realise is how rarely I look beyond my own industry. This opened my eyes to the wider world of making and craft, and reminded me how connected all of it really is.
It has changed the way I look at objects and places. I now find myself asking why something exists, how it came to be, whether it has always been made that way, and who is still carrying that knowledge forward. Those small questions are powerful, and this book encourages you to keep asking them.
The writing is thoughtful, calm, and genuinely inspiring. I am very glad it caught my eye in a bookshop. It will stay with me for a long time
November 13, 2025
Superb book, so interesting. A journey around the British Isles extolling people who are working in traditional crafts, dry stonewalling, thatching, watch making, and many more. Visiting sometimes the last craftsperson or the last place where these traditional skills and businesses survive, James Fox, writes passionately the need to encourage these people, skills and practices in our ever increasing alienated world.
These crafts are not hobbies they are businesses, the businesses which were some of the foundations of life in these Isles for centuries and which need to be encouraged, nutured and appreciated before we lose them forever.
As one craftsperson described herself, she was "a maker". And that's what humans have always done and there is joy in making, building skill and expertise to make something that will last and be cherished by generations.
I hope this book inspires not only individuals but our government to support these "living national treasures".
These crafts are not hobbies they are businesses, the businesses which were some of the foundations of life in these Isles for centuries and which need to be encouraged, nutured and appreciated before we lose them forever.
As one craftsperson described herself, she was "a maker". And that's what humans have always done and there is joy in making, building skill and expertise to make something that will last and be cherished by generations.
I hope this book inspires not only individuals but our government to support these "living national treasures".
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
January 20, 2026
This fascinating book explores the U.K. through its crafts, both historic and modern. One of the most fun aspects is viewing areas one knows well (Sheffield where I grew up, the Chilterns where I live now, Bedfordshire where my grandparents lived) through the eyes of its industries, the trades of its past and the crafts of its present.
James Fox has met and interviewed some fascinating people whilst researching this book, from dry stone wallers to watch makers and engravers. Their personal stories as well as the detailed descriptions of their work were intriguing. Fox writes beautifully so the book is a pleasure to read.
James Fox has met and interviewed some fascinating people whilst researching this book, from dry stone wallers to watch makers and engravers. Their personal stories as well as the detailed descriptions of their work were intriguing. Fox writes beautifully so the book is a pleasure to read.
November 16, 2025
Traditional crafts matter.
What an amazing book dedicated to the history and shining a light on the world of craftsmanship in Britain! I'm currently studying for my Life in the UK exam and this even felt like a great addition to my learning journey. I learned about crafts and trades I'd never heard of before and loved getting a peek into the lives of those who continue their art.
Highly recommended for those interested in British history with a bit of a travelogue mixed in. Thank you Random House UK, Vintage for the copy.
What an amazing book dedicated to the history and shining a light on the world of craftsmanship in Britain! I'm currently studying for my Life in the UK exam and this even felt like a great addition to my learning journey. I learned about crafts and trades I'd never heard of before and loved getting a peek into the lives of those who continue their art.
Highly recommended for those interested in British history with a bit of a travelogue mixed in. Thank you Random House UK, Vintage for the copy.
January 5, 2026
Craftland is an interesting book where the author has travelled around the UK, discovering mostly forgotten professions that were once widely practised but are now maintained by just a handful of "endangered" individuals, usually elderly. Every one of the people he meets has spent most of their lives mastering their professions, and are usually poorly rewarded, but it's a labour of love, and often all they know.
It's a nostalgic book, but it isn't entirely backwards-looking. What an incredible country we live in, though!
It's a nostalgic book, but it isn't entirely backwards-looking. What an incredible country we live in, though!
November 14, 2025
Best Book of the Year
Fox has done an incredible job surveying the state of artisanal craft work across Britain while taking the reader inside the story of each craft and providing the context for its evolution as automation and imports changed the nature of the market. Amazing and inspiring.
Fox has done an incredible job surveying the state of artisanal craft work across Britain while taking the reader inside the story of each craft and providing the context for its evolution as automation and imports changed the nature of the market. Amazing and inspiring.
November 18, 2025
OMG, what a great book! Lots of good research, but also lots of real life research, finding and talking to those who craft. It makes one appreciate that much more all the still going and all the disappearing crafts of the past and present. Very well written and inspiring. Well worth a read. Well done narration by the author as well.
December 9, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. A fascinating insight into dying crafts that once shaped Britain and which still leave traces of their existence everywhere. This is not a sentimental hymn to the past though. It offers insights into how we might incorporate craftsmanship into a more sustainable future and build skills back into local communities. One of my top books of 2025.
December 9, 2025
I found myself gently drawn into this celebration of surviving skills in the UK. Some I have been involved in myself particularly dry stone walling and coppicing were like visiting old friends. Others such as watchmaking defy perfectionism and attention to detail. The illustrations are fabulous throughout. This book would have got 5 stars if only it included an index.
January 5, 2026
I really enjoyed this. It was well written and flowed easily with a nice mix of history, personal stories and a little bit of technical information on the crafts featured. I felt it provided a good impression of the crafts people and the places where they live and work, evoking the sights, sounds, smells and personalities.
January 8, 2026
What an interesting read about the various lost arts and 'vanishing' trades throughout Britain. James Fox has written this book with such heart for the crafts and how they can be the answer in our increasingly digital age. The book was full of interesting anecdotes, I now know why several football teams have certain nicknames, and beautiful stories of family, friendship and creativity.
January 15, 2026
A lovely, lope through the skilled & talented people of the nation who create beautiful things, the makers. A great book to champion the remaining talents and highlight the scale of change in the last two centuries. Very enjoyable.
November 2, 2025
FASCINATING
Remarkable research and great writing style. This book is amazing. I couldn’t put it down. A great gift to all
Remarkable research and great writing style. This book is amazing. I couldn’t put it down. A great gift to all
November 17, 2025
4.5 Fascinating and inspiring.
December 18, 2025
what an amazing book. detailing lost crafts of Britain and the few who keep them going. makes you long for a simpler time
December 27, 2025
Postcards - but not a full letter - from disappearing trades that inspire you "to wish you were there."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews