James Krenov: Leave Fingerprints, Brendan Bernhardt Gaffney

James Krenov (1920–2009) was one of the most influential woodworking writers, instructors and designers of the 20th century. His books, starting with "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook", inspired tens of thousands to pick up the tools and build to the highest standard. Yet little was known about his life.

After years of research and more than 150 interviews, Brendan Bernhardt Gaffney has produced the first and definitive biography of Krenov, with historical documents, press clippings and hundreds of photographs. It follows Krenov from his birth among the Chukchi in far-flung Russia, via Shanghai, Seattle and Alaska, to Sweden, where he worked in a factory and tried to get his writing published.

In his 30s he attended Carl Malmsten's school and within a few years became an accomplished woodworker with a national reputation, then gained international recognition for his attention to grain, love of joinery and sensitive approach to the craft. He went on to found the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program in California (now The Krenov School).

Gaffney paints a fully realized portrait of Krenov, neither hagiography nor hatchet job, of a man who did not compromise in his work, which created both great works and personal difficulties. The book also presents a gallery of Krenov's work from his earliest pieces to the last cabinet he built, many never published before.

Facts:
Author Brendan Bernhardt Gaffney
Language English