Everybody has used a nutcracker, and this entertaining book describes the many ingenious methods employed and the numerous imaginative designs produced from the eighteenth century to the present day to carry out the apparently simple task of cracking a nut. Considering the heavy use to which they have been put, it is surprising that some of the earliest wooden nutcrackers still survive. Some of these are wonderful examples of folk art. While nutcrackers of such age and quality are scarce today and latter-day mass-produced metal ones are less individual, interesting figural brass and steel examples can still be found at accessible prices. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, covering the history, development and variation of design and construction of nutcrackers around the world.