Those wishing to create furniture very few living people have seen the like of need look no further than this book. The furniture described in it is based on one-of-a-kind museum pieces 400 years old and older. Many of the originals haven't met the test of time very well, it is true, and Diehl and Donnelly fudge the measurements a tad, if only to make things come out reasonably square and true. Those who dive into this book and its predecessor,
Constructing Medieval Furniture (1997), should possess considerable woodworking skills and able carving and metalworking hands. These projects aren't for beginners, and the pieces themselves aren't what one would see in a typical modern home. It also helps not to forget that, for example, the church pew herein was originally built when you got 10-foot boards 2 inches thick and 18 inches wide by heading out to the forest and harvesting them. Very much on an offbeat subject, this book is simply wonderful because of that.
Jon Kartman
Reader Reviews
Unfortunately, this edition repeats many of the inaccuracies of the first book. If you are an experienced woodworker, the measured drawings and photos are useful; but ignore the so-called historical notes. A number of the projects are reconstructions of reconstructions, so there are many leaps of faith that the design is authentic. For accurate information on period furniture joinery, decoration, etc., see Victor Chinnery's book "Oak Furniture, the British Tradition." For information on how to build furniture using hand tools in a period fashion, see Roy Underhill's "Woodwright" series of books.
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