Craftland : A Journey Through Britain's Living Past

Connect with Britain’s extraordinary heritage and be awakened to the beauty all around you with the Sunday Times bestselling, soul-stirring journey to Craftland that reveals a richer, more meaningful way of living - by award-winning historian and broadcaster James Fox. ‘Inspiring’ Sunday Times‘Wonderful’ Michael Morpurgo‘Enchanting’ Amol Rajan*SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO NON-FICTION BOOK AWARD 2025**SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025*For generations, what we made with our hands shaped who we were. The skills and knowledge passed down to us built our communities and defined our regions. And if you know where to look, they still do. In Craftland, James Fox seeks out Britain’s last great craftspeople – those who are keeping our vanishing trades and traditions alive. Through them, we witness not only the living past but a deeper, more connected way of living today: one that is not yet lost and might still shape our future. This soul-stirring journey shows that Britain is still a craft land, if only we have eyes to see it. ‘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‘This extraordinary book will leave you awestruck and inspired. Anyone who has ever felt a disconnection from modern life will find themselves irresistibly drawn in’ Xand van Tulleken‘Superb… I read the book with admiration not only for the remarkable subjects individually, but also the human spirit that unites them all’ New Statesman‘If you want to know about Britain and yourself, read this book…tremendous’ Spectator‘Beautiful, eye-opening and surprisingly moving – a treat to treasure’ Lucy Worsley‘Superbly written and completely absorbing’ Tracy Chevalier‘A book that shimmers with love for a dwindling world’ Guardian‘A close-up study of human work at a moment when we’re all trying to understand what that means’ Ian Leslie‘Succeeds in defining the new role of craft in a world where machines appear to be eclipsing both the brain and the hand’ Country Life‘A joy’ Edmund de Waal‘A richly satisfying read’ Times Literary Supplement‘Dazzling. An impassioned and novel portrait of the country’s past and how we might rethink our future’ Kate Bryan‘What a treat to discover that craft is as ever present as it has forever been’ Kate Malone‘Wonderful’ Jonathan Anderson