Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties: And How to Make Them

Price: $12.99
(as of Sep 27, 2026 08:07:25 UTC – Details)


Here is the original 19th century manual that helped pioneering Americans homestead a continent—with detailed instructions on how to build birch bark or tar paper shacks, a sawed-lumber shanty, a sod house, log cabins and much more.
Whether you are a student of history, a screenwriter looking for authentic details or a modern homesteader looking for authentic advice on how to build the way our grandparents did, then D.C. Beard’s manual is just what you’re looking for. It includes information on:
How to use an axeHow to split logsHow to flatten a logHow to build a Navajo HoganHow to cut and notch logsHow to build a notched ladderHow to make cabin doors and door-latches.The American log cabinA Fisherman’s cabinAnd much, much more.
Go back to basics with this classic of American ingenuity!
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 8, 2011
Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1616081341
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616081348
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.9 x 7.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #188,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #55 in Sustainability & Green Design #101 in Home Repair #109 in Carpentry
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (376) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers find the book informative, with one mentioning it provides a comprehensive understanding of large permanent structures. The illustrations receive mixed feedback, with some customers appreciating the plenty of illustrations while others find them poor. The instructions also get mixed reviews, with several customers noting it’s not the how-to book they expected.