After four years of honest labor, I am happy to announce you can place a pre-publication order for our newest book: “Honest Labour: The Charles H. Hayward Years, 1936-1966.” This massive book (474 pages) compiles Hayward’s best columns about the craft during his tenure as editor of The Woodworker magazine in the United Kingdom.
The book is $34 and can be ordered here from our store.
Hayward’s columns cover an enormous swath of woodworking philosophy, from discussions of our insecurities about our skills to the regenerative power of time at the bench. Hayward writes from a unique perspective: He was a traditionally trained woodworker, World War I veteran, professional woodworker, draughtsman, photographer, writer and editor. He steered The Woodworker through World War II (without missing an issue) and was a comforting voice for woodworkers through the most tumultuous portion of the 20th century.
We’ve taken his best columns during the 30 years he was the editor and reprinted them in “Honest Labour” for you to enjoy and think about. Each column occupies a single spread in the book – just open the book to any page and you will find a complete column. And each is illustrated with drawings from that particular year of The Woodworker – many of the drawings from Hayward’s own hand.
“Honest Labour” is the fifth and final book in The Woodworker series, which was a multi-year, multinational project to preserve the hand tool knowledge that almost disappeared in the 20th century. “Honest Labour” is the same trim size as the other Woodworker books in the series, printed on the same paper and features the same tough binding. The only difference is the cotton cover cloth. We chose a deep scarlet instead of the green to differentiate this volume from the others.
The book is currently at the printer and should ship in early May 2020. We hope our retailers will carry this book, though we have no control (obviously) over their stock choices.
In the coming weeks we’ll publish an excerpt for those of you who are on the fence or unsure this book is worth your time and effort.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. I know we have been releasing a slew of stuff this week – pinch rods, linocut prints from “Good Work” and now this book. It was completely unplanned and is what happens when you run a publishing company with the “it’s done when it’s done philosophy.” Sometimes that means you have nothing. Sometimes it means you have too much.
Ordered.
Instead of your normal high quality paper, please consider a lighter weight. Perhaps in a two-ply. And skip the sewn binding — make it perforated.
No free PDF this time? Or is it just not listed? I’ll order either way, but I find i have more time for leisure reading lately…
Like with all the books from The Woodworker series, we do not have electronic rights to the material. So we cannot offer a pdf, free or otherwise I’m afraid.
I guess I was never on the fence because I ordered it before you even put up this blog post.
Thanks Jacob – this book might not be a money-maker, but I’m glad we did it.
Ordered
Not that I don’t enjoy the feel of a finely crafted book like the kind that Lost Art Press produces, but will “Honest Labour” be offered in a PDF version?
I’m afraid we are not allowed to sell a pdf. The owner of the copyright would not sell us electronic rights.
Does one need the previous books in the series for the red one to have full meaning or can one start with the red one? Thanks
This book stands alone – all the books in the series stand alone. There are no cliffhanger endings.
I glanced over at my shelf while reading this and saw “Joiner’s Work” and am enjoying “Good Work” which just arrived. I guess “Honest Labour” is the British synonym for “Work” in ‘American. Then, I noticed “Hands Employed Aright” “By Hand and Eye””The Solution at Hand” Lost Art Press title bingo?
Given your current pace of releases, ’tis glad I am that I’d more or less managed to catch up on your back catalogue, or at least the parts thereof of the highest interest to me (which very much includes The Woodworker vols I–IV)! So, “Honest Labour” is now pre-ordered, and I’m already looking forward very much to when it is released is May!
Please give us Canadians a heads up whenever it ships to Lee Valley.