A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

'An exquisite book, beautifully put together... What a very wonderful book.' STEPHEN FRY
'Forty-thousand years of our relationship with time condensed into 288 pages: a hugely entertaining achievement.' ESQUIRE
'5/5 A true joy. A work of staggering complexity and bewildering economy.' TELEGRAPH
'A rattling, wonderful read.' OBSERVER
'Every page glitters' SPECTATOR
'Mesmerising' NEW STATESMAN
'Absolutely gorgeous. It blew my socks off' JAY BLADES
'An intensely personal, finely-tuned meditation. A beautiful book' EDMUND DE WAAL
'Beautiful, bewitching and brilliant' LARA MAIKLEM

In Hands of Time, watchmaker and historian Rebecca Struthers welcomes us into the hidden world of watchmaking, and to a history of time that spans centuries and continents.

The invention of timepieces was more significant for human culture than the printing press, or even the wheel. They have travelled the world with us, from the depths of the oceans to the summit of Everest, and even to the Moon. They regulate our daily lives and have sculpted the social and economic development of society in surprising and dramatic ways.

From her workshop bench, Rebecca explores the ways in which timekeeping has indelibly shaped our attitudes to work, leisure, trade, politics, exploration and mortality, and introduces us to some extraordinary devices, each with their own story to tell. Hands of Time is an intricate exploration of the history, science, philosophy, and craft of timekeeping.

"'5/5 A true joy - an enchanting mixture of memoir and history... A work of staggering complexity and bewildering economy - highly deserving of the time you give it.'" - Telegraph

"'Every page glitters with details of her experience and the people she has learned from. The book is evidence of a lifelong labour of love, and reading it is time well spent'" - Spectator

"'A rattling, wonderful, decidedly non-nerdy read for anyone with an interest of how time made us who we are.'" - Observer

"'Mesmerising, almost hypnotic... well worth your time.'" - New Statesman

"'An absorbing and precisely researched journey around the importance of horology in measuring time... at the heart of the narrative is a historical account of how timekeeping has shaped the development of pretty much every aspect of social and economic life: trade, politics, leisure, exploration and mortality.'" - Times

"Taking us from the earliest lunar calendar (a notched baboon fibula found in the Lebombo mountains) to today's quartz watches... This brilliant history of clocks and timepieces is a miracle of concision." - Telegraph best summer reads

"'The only book on watches you need to read... a hugely entertaining achievement'" - Esquire

"'BOOK OF THE WEEK: The sights, smells and sounds of a watchmaker's workshop in Birmingham's jewellery quarter come to life in Rebecca Struthers's fascinating book'" - Daily Mail

"'The history of timekeeping is treated with a light touch, consisting of one fascinating and frequently romantic story after another... She brings the craft of making and repairing watches to life and even the glossary is an engaging read. Be warned, however: if Hands of Time affects you as it has me, you may find yourself taking up what could be an extremely expensive hobby.'" - Country Life

"'A gripping history of timekeeping that starts with the personal, but then embarks upon a journey spanning centuries of modern humanity, examining how timepieces have shaped us - not just in service to our quotidian lives, but politically and economically, too. With a scope that reaches from prehistoric 40,000-year-old bone etchings recording lunar cycles to the Dutch horological "forgeries" of her thesis, it is all addressed with a lightness of touch that has seen Dr Struthers' debut scoring "Book of the Week" on BBC Radio 4.'" - Mr Porter

"'Full of tales of royal intrigue and social history, it charts the story of watchmaking through the centuries and reflects on how time affects us all' " - Vogue

"'This engaging, rewarding book is full of mechanical complexities and wonderfully interesting details." - Irish Examiner

"Skilfully moving between the miniscule world of watchmaking and the sweep of history, Hands of Time is an enlightening study." - Economist

"An exquisitely crafted history" - Nature