The Stonemason

The Stonemason
Published : 20 Mar 2020 - John Murray
Stonemason Andrew Ziminski has three decades of experience with the tangible history of this country - from raising stones at Stonehenge, the restoration of roman ruins in the City of Bath, to work to save some of our most important medieval churches and cathedrals.

But there's nothing dusty about this stonemason.

Offering a unique account of life as a craftsman as well as a history of Britain from the New Stone Age to the Industrial Revolution, The Stonemason is both a celebration of man's close relationship with its greatest of natural materials, and a reminder of the value of 'made by hand'.

Reviews

Like nurses, masons must know in detail about the lives of the buildings they care for. This intimate knowledge has given Andrew Ziminski unique insights into some of England's oldest and most beautiful structures. But this book is as much about people as mortar and stone. It's a conversation with the past, from which I learnt so much. My book of the year!

Francis Pryor, Time Team archaeologist and author of THE MAKING OF THE BRITISH LANDSCAPE

Enthralling. . . Along with riveting personal insights into this ancient craft, he immerses us in the past lives of the long-forgotten everyday craftspeople whose legacy is the buildings we so treasure today".

The Bookseller

Remarkable. . . Ziminski weaves together architecture, craft, landscape, archaeology and natural history, all the time keeping a sharp eye on modern everyday life around him.

Will Wiles, Literary Review

[A]n unparalleled understanding of this country’s stones.

The Spectator

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