'With All the Precision Possible: Roubo on Furniture' New Deluxe Edition
Introductory special: Purchase this book before April 20, 2025, at the special price of $100 with free domestic shipping.
by Donald C. Williams, Michele Pietryka-Pagán & Philippe Lafargue
This new deluxe edition of “With All the Precision Possible: Roubo on Furniture” is a worthy reflection of more than a decade of work by an international team that produced the first English translation of the 18th-century woodworking masterpiece: “l’art du Menuisier” by André-Jacob Roubo. This translation covers Roubo’s writing on woodworking tools, the workshop, joinery and building furniture.
In addition to the translated text and color images from the original, “With All the Precision Possible: Roubo on Furniture” also includes five contemporary essays on Roubo’s writing by craftsmen Christopher Schwarz, Don Williams, Michael Mascelli, Philippe Lafargue and Jonathan Thornton.
“Roubo on Furniture” is filled with insights into working wood and building furniture that are difficult or impossible to find in both old and modern woodworking books. Unlike many woodworking writers of the 18th century, Roubo was a traditionally trained and practicing joiner. He interviewed fellow craftsmen from other trades to gain a deep and nuanced view of their practices. He learned to draw, so almost all of the illustrations in this book came from his hand.
The above facts are important because many early woodworking books are filled with information that is not quite right and drawings that were made by non-woodworkers. Not so with Roubo.
No matter what sort of woodworking you do or your skill level, we think “Roubo on Furniture” will expand greatly your knowledge of how fine furniture was (and still should be) built.
Like all Lost Art Press books, it is printed and bound in the United States. The deluxe edition is 9″ x 12″, printed in color on acid-free #100 coated matte paper. The signatures are Smyth-sewn, and the end papers are printed with images of some of the plates.
The cloth cover for the boards is a vibrant cobalt blue with a gold foil stamp, and the headbands are gold and blue to match. The cover is protected with a gloss laminate dust jacket.
This deluxe volume is built to stand the tests of time, shop and kids (as well as look great on your bookshelf).
A Note on Previous Editions of this Book
This is the third version of “With All the Precision Possible: Roubo on Furniture.” All three books have the same words drawings and images. Our first deluxe edition of this book was 11" x 17" and came in a slipcase. It is sold out. Our second version was 8-1/2" x 12" and had a light blue cloth cover. It was printed on uncoated paper in black and white. It also is sold out. This third edition is a size that is manageable on your lap, printed in full color on coated paper and features other material upgrades.