Book excerpt: This is arguably the most detailed study ever made of any branch of British furniture. It covers in considerable depth, on a region by region basis, the work of hundreds of craftsmen, spread throughout the country, working in the general tradition of the area but superimposed with their own individual design 'signatures'. The author has examined thousands of regional chairs, researched local archives, conducted field studies, collected anecdotal evidence and used computers to relate the evolution of known types and makes. The result is a living account of the development of countless styles of chairs from all over England and the way of life of the craftsmen who produced them.