This book seeks to preserve the memory of the coopers skills, tracing the history of the craft and describing and illustrating how a barrel was made.

Wooden casks, or barrels, are containers of exceptional strength, versatility and mobility. They have become a rarity in Britain, however, displaced so completely by metal containers that it is hard to imagine their former importance. The coopers who made them were once numerous and independent craftsmen, while latterly many were employed by breweries.

This book is an introduction and homage to their craft, which was not only economically vital but was physically demanding and required skills learned only through years of practice.