In 1885, the polymath Edward Heron-Allen studied violin making with the noted maker Georges Chanot in order to write his book 'Violin Making as it Was and Is'. Incredibly, this work is still in print. Since the appearance of this book, there has been no serious attempt to produce a comprehensive, step by step guide to violin making.

In 1995, Chris Johnson set out with co-author Roy Courtnall to write a new book, based closely on the methods taught at the Newark School of Violin Making. After hundreds of hours of writing, researching and rewriting, taking photographs and making drawings, they realised why 100 years had passed without anyone making such a book.

Their book was published in 1999, and has since had some very nice feedback from readers. They were honoured to have had a foreword from the late Yehudi Menuhin, an extract of which appears below.