Back to Basics — A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills (Fourth Edition)
Back to Basics — A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills (Fourth Edition)
The classic, all-in-one guide to living more self-reliantly — from raising chickens and preserving the harvest to building a cabin and heating with wood.
What's inside
- Land & building — buying property, log cabins, stone walls, fences, water supply
- Energy — wood heat, water, wind and solar power
- Growing — kitchen gardens, herbs, fruit, beekeeping and livestock
- The harvest & crafts — preserving, dairy, bread, woodworking, soap, candles and more
Who it's for: homesteaders, gardeners, DIYers and anyone who wants to do more with their own hands.
Specifications
- Edition: Fourth Edition, updated and revised
- Editor: Abigail R. Gehring
- Format: Paperback
- Contents: 6 parts, hundreds of projects
- Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
- ISBN: 978-1629143699
RETURNS
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★★★★★
Wow! This is comprehensive!
“I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this book! … Everything in this book is useful. It was well illustrated and contains pictures with extensive directions. … I actually couldn't put it down!”
JRJ. Reynolds
Verified Purchase · Amazon review
What's inside
Six parts. Hundreds of projects.
- Land — buying property, log cabins, stone walls, fences, water supply
- Energy — heating with wood, water, wind and solar power
- Growing — the kitchen garden, herbs, fruit, beekeeping, livestock
- The harvest — preserving, dairy, maple sugaring, bread, cooking with wood
- Crafts — woodworking, metalworking, soap, candles, spinning, baskets
- Outdoors — camping, canoeing, fishing and winter skills
What's inside · Sample pages
Clear illustrations on every spread
The pages are built to be used, not just read. Drawings, charts and photos sit right next to the text that explains them.
- Tell a building's age from its nails, lath and saw marks
- Spot the plants that show where water is on a piece of land
- Read a property map before you buy
Amazon reviews
What readers say
★★★★★ Rated 4.8/5 by 5,100+ readers on Amazon
★★★★★
One of the more useful books that exist
Holy cow, this book has way more in it than I expected. I haven’t read through all of it yet, but there’s a ton of useful information packed into it. Definitely a great addition to a bugout kit or just a good book to have around.
Amazon review
Verified Purchase
★★★★★
Loads of information
This book is a great resource for learning how to do many things. There are not just descriptions and instructions but also diagrams and photographs which I find helpful. Great to have on hand if you want to learn traditional skills and maybe lose access to your Internet.
Amazon review
Verified Purchase
★★★★★
Super interesting book
I did not expect to love this book as much as I do… it’s a great coffee table book that you can flip through. It has so much information on how to do things you wouldn’t even think of doing. I have learned so much from this book. It is super good quality and looks nice. Bigger than you would think
Amazon review
Verified Purchase
★★★★★
Offline Wisdom in Tough Times
This book is a welcome addition to my growing library of homesteading and "the old ways" of doing things. … My husband and I are enjoying reading it and letting it spark conversation for our current pantry preparedness …
Amazon review
Verified Purchase
What's inside · The harvest
Keep the harvest all year round
Part Four covers preserving produce, curing meat and fish, making your own dairy products, baking bread and tapping maple trees. Pair it with the free Preserving Pantry Playbook and Homestead Year Planner and you have a plan for every season.
What's inside · Skills & crafts
The skills your grandparents knew, in one book
Bake the bread, split the wood, mend the fence, keep a few hens. Part Five teaches woodworking, metalworking, soap and candle making, spinning and basketry, with step-by-step sequences written for beginners.
In print since 1981 and now in its updated Fourth Edition, it's the reference that stays on the kitchen shelf.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is this the latest edition?
Yes. This is the Fourth Edition, updated and revised, edited by Abigail R. Gehring and published by Skyhorse Publishing.
Is it paperback or hardcover?
Paperback. This is the Fourth Edition, updated and revised.
Is it in colour?
Yes. It has a colour layout with a mix of colour and black-and-white photographs, charts and illustrations.
Do I need a farm to use it?
No. Plenty of the book works in a suburban garden or a kitchen: preserving, baking, dairy, crafts, woodworking and energy-saving at home.
How detailed is it?
It covers a huge range of skills with step-by-step sequences. For a few big projects, such as building a cabin, treat it as a strong starting point and plan alongside local codes and experts.
What are the free companion guides?
Three Thornbury Books PDF guides that pair with the book: The Homestead Year Planner, The Preserving Pantry Playbook and The Backyard Livestock Starter Guide. They're included free with every book tier and delivered instantly by email.