Campaign Furniture

"Campaign Furniture" by prolific woodworker and writer Chris Schwarz, is one of the most important new woodworking titles in several years. The furniture detailed in the book has its roots in the British Empire, but the notion of accessories for a "mobile" lifestyle could hardly be any more of-the-moment.

Campaign furniture was used by colonial troops while stationed abroad. The basic styles of campaign furniture have changed over the years to reflect fashion, but the common denominator is that this type of furniture was made to be moved. Desks, chairs, and tables fold up. Bookcases and dressers lock down, becoming sturdy rectangular boxes. For an officer traveling through the vast colonies of the empire, campaign furniture made it possible to pickup, move, and quickly settle back in to a proper English household without much ado.

The "Campaign" style of furniture is a relevant as ever in the contemporary world: it's relatively easy to build, and it's built for moving. With Americans moving on average every five years, there's something for everyone in this book.

The first chapters of the book are about the historical development of the style, followed by chapters on necessary skills such as, wood selection, installing hardware, etc. The following chapters each detail the construction of a piece of campaign furniture. All told, there are nine projects with plans.

The extensive appendices contain the first English-language translation of A.J.-Roubo’s 18th-century text on campaign pieces, plus original drawings of dozens of pieces of British campaign furniture culled from original copies of the Army & Navy stores catalogs.

Hardbound, 6" x 9", Smthe sewn. Illustrated with more than 400 drawing and photos, (some in color). Printed in the USA.

• Preface…vii
• 1. Campaign Style 1
• 2. Campaign Woods 38
• 3. Campaign Hardware 52
• 4. *Campaign Chests 82
• 5. *Campaign Secretaries 122
• 6. *Folding Camp Stool 138
• 7. *Roorkee Chairs 154
• 8. *Strong Trunk 190
• 9. *Field Desk 214
• 10. *Collapsible Bookshelves 234
• 11. *Traveling Bookcase 248
• Afterword... 265
• Appendices
• • A. Roubo on Campaigning... 269
  • B. India’s Joiners, by George Cecil... 279
  • C. Army & Navy Stores... 285
  • Acknowledgements…318
  • Further Reading…319
  • Index…323
  • Hardware Sources…331