Your Favourite Woodworking Authors

imakebiodiesel

Im a bit of a victim for woodworking books, over the years Ive bought a lot and I feel that even if I get only one good idea from a book it was good value. But some authors really stand the test of time and rereading after 10 years you still learn more from them.
So who are your favourite authors and why do you like them?

Ill start the ball rolling with my all time favourite, Charles Hayward. He was a highly skilled cabinetmaker and editor of Woodworking Magazine from the 1940 to the 60s. He published a lot of books including
Tools for woodwork
Carpentry for beginners,
Junior woodworker
Veneering for beginners
Staining and polishing
Cabinetmaking for beginners
Hammer and nails carpentry
Garden Woodwork
Furniture design
and many more
What I like about Hayward is that he was an old school perfectionist and he expects his readers to be like him. His books are not about handy shortcuts or easy methods. He expects thing to be done properly or not at all and if you really want to master something difficult like veneering, or french polishing or concealed mitred dovetails then Charles Hayward is the man for you.
After decades of neglect his books have been "discovered " in the USA and some titles are becoming scarce and expensive, get them while you still can.

recipio

A lot of books are hopelessly out of date. However the good ones are timeless mainly because they were written by professionals with a lifetime experience like Charles Hayward.
I'd suggest just three. 1. 'Furniture Making ' by Ernest Joyce ( edited by Alan Peters ) - a great overall review of just about every aspect of woodworking.
2. 'The Woodworking Book' edited by John Makepeace. An old but still cutting edge project book.
3 'Making Shaker Furniture ' by Thomas Moser, the renowned American furniture maker for a down to earth U.S. perspective.
A lot of the older books are available for buttons from the usual internet sellers.
I'd love a copy of 'Woods in British Furniture Making ' by Adam Bowkett but at £120 a pop I'll wait a while.:D

imakebiodiesel

3 great suggestions there, thanks . I met Thomas Moser many years ago when I was seriously into chairmaking. My wife and I went on holiday in New England and I dragged the poor woman around every Shaker village making sketches of furniture. Moser was running a workshop there and was very generous with his time. A gentleman and a true craftsman.
I must check out Making furniture by Ernest Joyce, thats one I dont know.

timfromtang

Greetings all,
The book that got me hooked inspired etc as a young boy was The Woodwrights Shop by Roy Underhill. I still love his enthusiasm.
tim

imakebiodiesel

Yes Roy Underhill did a lot to promote traditional hand woodwork in the eighties and ninetys. I remember building a copy of the foot operated sash saw he featured in one of his early books. I still have it somewhere.

imakebiodiesel

recipio wrote: »

A lot of books are hopelessly out of date. However the good ones are timeless mainly because they were written by professionals with a lifetime experience like Charles Hayward.
I'd suggest just three. 1. 'Furniture Making ' by Ernest Joyce ( edited by Alan Peters ) - a great overall review of just about every aspect of woodworking.
2. 'The Woodworking Book' edited by John Makepeace. An old but still cutting edge project book.
3 'Making Shaker Furniture ' by Thomas Moser, the renowned American furniture maker for a down to earth U.S. perspective.
A lot of the older books are available for buttons from the usual internet sellers.
I'd love a copy of 'Woods in British Furniture Making ' by Adam Bowkett but at £120 a pop I'll wait a while.:D

I dug out my copy of The Woodworking Book by John Makepeace which I had bought in 1989 and reread it. Wow! as you said still, cutting edge, some of the designs look as innovative and exciting today as they did then . I particularly like Richard La Trobe Batemans kitchen furniture. He manages to combine traditional country forms with something new and fresh. My long suffering wife just rolled her eyes when I proposed to redo our kitchen with his designs.

Wendell Castle's organic flowing designs combined with precise cabinetwork are brilliant, he is like a Gaudi in woodwork. Thanks for the reminder about this great book.