What does it mean for something to be handmade, artisan, crafted, bespoke?

Alexander Langlands will join us to discuss craft and inquiry into the origins and true

meaning of traditional crafts.

Might the Vietnam War have ended differently, had Edward Lanzdale held more sway?

Max Boot will join us to talk about his new book, The Road Not Taken.

Alexander Alter will give us an update from the publishing world, plus we'll talk about

what we and the wider world are reading.

This is Inside the New York Times Book Review.

I'm Pamela Paul.

Alexander Langlands joins us now from Swansea University in Wales.

He is the author of a new book, Craft and Inquiry into the origins and true meaning of traditional

crafts reviewed this week on the cover of the book review.

Alexander, thanks for being here.

You have two very interesting jobs, Hedels.

You are both a medieval historian and an archaeologist.

What does your day job look like?

It's mixed.

I work at a university, so I have all the sort of teaching and a kind of admin work that goes

with teaching, it's probably about half my job.

And the other half of my job is researching and fieldwork as well as writing.

So trying to find a balance between all of those and trying not to spend too much time

in the office is increasingly difficult.

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