Best of the Best - Books

Compiled by Andy Mac
See Original Thread:List of books

Absolute Essentials
These are also in their individual categories below

• Wood in Australia (2nd edition) by Keith Bootle
• Furniture-Making Techniques (Vols I and II) - David Charlesworth
• The Technique of Furniture Making - By Ernest Joyce
• The Handplane Book - Garrett Hack
• The Complete Guide to Sharpening - Leonard Lee
• The Workbench Book by Scott Landis
• A Polishers Handbook by Neil Ellis (Ubeaut Enterprises)

General woodwork

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Woodworking by Karen Reed
• The Woodworkers Handbook by Roger Horwood
• The Encyclopedia of Woodworking by Mark Ramuz
• The Seven Essentials of Woodworking by Anthony Guidice
• The Complete Woodworkers Companion by Roger Holmes.

Wood

• Australian Timber Buyer's Guide
• Wood in Australia (2nd edition) by Keith Bootle
• Red Cedar by John Vader
• What Timber Will I Use? T John Stacpoole

Furniture making & Techniques

• Furniture-Making Techniques (Vols I and II) - David Charlesworth
• (A selection of his articles on topics that range from construction of furniture, to tuning and use of handtools - both classics now)
• The Technique of Furniture Making by Ernest Joyce
• A Cabinetmakers Notebook by James Krenov.
• The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking by James Krenov.
• Waltons (the text most of us used at high school)
• The Chairmaker’s Workshop by Drew Langsner
• The Complete Dovetail - Ian Kirby (The best book on handcutting dovetails)
• Building Cabinet Doors and Drawers by Danny Proulx
• Wood Joiners Handbook by Sam Allen
• The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery by Gary Rogowski
• Success with Joints by Ralph Laughton

Boat Building

• Boat Joinery and Cabinetmaking by Fred P. Bingham

Power Tools & Machines

• Mastering Woodworking Machines by Mark Duginske
• Band Saw Handbook by Mark Duginske
• Router Joinery Workshop by Carol Reed
• Care and Repair of Shop Machines by John White
• Classic Joints with Power tools by Yeung Chan

Turning

• Woodturning: A Foundation Course by Keith Rowley
• Mike Darlow's books on woodturning (with DVD)
• Woodturning: a Manual of Techniques by Hugh O'Neil
• Turning Pens and Pencils by Rex Birmingham and KP Christensen

Green/Rustic Woodwork

• Simple Rustic Furniture by Dan Mack
• The Rustic Furniture Companion by Dan Mack

Tool Storage

• The Toolbox Book by Jim Tolpin
• Building the Perfect Tool Chest by Jim Stack

Hand Tools

• How to Make Woodworking Tools by Charles H. Hayward
• Making and mastering wood planes by David Fink.
• Tools of the Trade (The Art and Craft of Carpentry) by Jeff Taylor.
• The Handplane Book - Garrett Hack
• Classic Handtools - Garrett Hack
• Hand Tools- their ways and workings by Aldren A. Watson
• The Fine Art of Tools - Sandor Nagyszalanczy
• Japanese Woodworking Tools - Toshio Odate
• Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools - Michael Dunbar
• Restoring Antique Tools - Herbert P. Kean

Sharpening

• The Complete Guide to Sharpening - Leonard Lee
• Sharpening by Thomas Lie-Nielsen
• Sharpening with Waterstones by Ian Kirby

Benches and Workshops

• The Workbench Book by Scott Landis
• Fine Woodworking- the Small Workshop
• Making workbenches by Sam Allen

Finishing

• A Polishers Handbook by Neil Ellis (Ubeaut Enterprises)
• Staining and Polishing by Charles Hayward

Inspiration

• Woodworker by Sam Maloof
• Soul of a tree by George Nakashima
• Woodworking-the New Wave by Dona Meilach
• Art Boxes of Po Shun Leong by Tony Lydgate
• Modern Australian Furniture by M. Bogle & P. Landman

Metalwork

• The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight
• The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers (3 vols. in one cover)
• The Contemporary Blacksmith by Dona Meilach

Boxes

• Complete Illustrated Guide to Box Making by Doug Stowe
• Box Making Basics by Freedman
• The Book of Boxes by Andrew Crawford

Carving

• Fine woodworking – on Carving

Miscellaneous

• Understanding wood (Tage Frid??)
• Mechanick Exercises or the Doctrine of Handy Works - Joseph Moxon (Observations on woodworking and other topics in the 17th Century)
• Colonial Craftsmen- the beginning of American Industry by Edwin Tunis
• Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood by Raymond Levy
• The Art of Inlay by Larry Robinson
• Marquetry and Inlay Handbook by Zachary Taylor

NB. A further list as recommended by Fine Woodworking magazine can found here:
404 Not Found