Unlike many 19th century books on relief wood carving which feature only illustrative examples with little in the way of explanatory text, WOOD CARVING by Joseph Phillips provides a carefully graduated series of twelve lessons, each of which is accompanied by a photograph of the relief carving discussed with annotations to explain the steps taken in the creation of the form.

Grounded in the spirit of the British Arts & Crafts movement of the late 19th century, WOOD CARVING by Joseph Phillips is a one-of-a-kind text of value to the beginner, the intermediate as well as the advanced carver who seeks to learn from a practitioner of the craft and of the period.