Alexander Langlands 
Craeft 
How Traditional Crafts Are about More than Just Making

In the modern world we are becoming bombarded by craft. Hand-made tools, artisan breads and craft beers are all part of a pantheon of goods designed to appeal to our earthier selves, our sense of tradition, quality and luxury, all brought together through a personal touch – objects to savour in a world of meaningless mass manufacture.But once, craft – or more specifically, cræft – meant something very different. When it was first written down in Old English, over a thousand years ago, it had an almost indefinable sense of 'knowledge', 'wisdom' and 'power'. To be cræfty was to be truly intelligent – but in a way that is almost inconceivable to us today.Through a series of mini-histories, detailed craft analyses and personal anecdotes, archaeologist, historian and broadcaster Alex Langlands goes in search of the lost knowledge of cræft.Fusing stories of landscapes, personalities and mesmerising skill, with back-breaking hard work, this book will convince readers – for their health, wealth and well-being – to introduce more cræft into their lives.