Craft Gilds

"Craft Gilds" by W. Cunningham is a journey into the medieval world, revealing the vital role craft gilds played in shaping society and industry. The book carefully studies how these organizations controlled trades, set quality benchmarks for goods, and enforced standards of workmanship. Cunningham uncovers the history of craft gilds, from their beginning to their control of the quality of goods. He looks into their duties, which included managing apprenticeship training. The book uses examples from Coventry to detail the arguments between craft gilds and city leaders, and disagreements among gilds and individuals. The book ends by looking at why these groups vanished and what they mean for today's society, suggesting a need for new structures in modern industry.