A lavish guide to the ingenious design and beauty of automata and mechanical toys, including their history, an explanation of their mechanisms, a survey of the leading makers, step-by-step instructions for making mechanisms, and 160 color photos. No other craft so brilliantly captures the magic of turning a handle, flicking a switch, or pulling a lever to see the unexpected come to life. Automata and Mechanical Toys is a book for anyone drawn to simple, entertaining mechanics. The book features 21 leading makers, each with a distinctive style. With 160 color photos and 100 delightful examples of the craft, the book is a feast for collectors and enthusiasts. A substantial section of the book is devoted to making automata mechanisms, ideal for novices or those wishing to learn new techniques. Illustrated, step-by-step instructions explain how to make a bearings box, which separately houses all the main mechanisms used in automata. The box can then be converted to any mechanism you choose.

Rodney Peppe is a winner of the British Toymakers' Guild Toy of the Year Award; he has had exhibitions of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood. He is also the author of Rodney Peppe's Moving Toys.