Skip to product information
1 of 1

Goldsboro Books

9781788700863

The Toymaker

The Toymaker

by Tom Karen

Publisher 535

Released:

  • Signed by the Author
  • UK First Edition
  • First Printing
  • Hardcover


Regular price £20.00
Regular price Sale price £20.00
Sale Sold out
Rendering loop-subscriptions
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Available from:

Limited Edition Copies

View full details

About the book

Step inside his home and you'll see papier-mch birds, a life-sized cardboard tiger, model cars; his work bench a vibrant collage of creativity, from hand-drawn maps and postcards to newly devised toys for his beloved grandchildren. Tom Karen is a toymaker, creative genius, award-winning designer and one of the world's most remarkable inventors. From inventing the Marble Run to designing the iconic Raleigh Chopper bike and creating the Bond Bug, Tom's designs are cherished the world over, but behind these fantastical creations lies an equally remarkable life.

Born in the 1920s into a wealthy family and raised in Czechoslovakia by nannies, Tom had a lonely upbringing and longed for pencils, paper, paints and brushes. His childhood was short-lived when Tom and his family had to flee for their lives following the rise of Nazi Germany. It was this formative experience that would transform Tom's life. Arriving in the UK, Tom would establish himself as a creator slowly building the career that would see him dubbed 'the man who designed the seventies'.

Told through the prism of Tom's incredible designs, Toymaker is a story about life, about imagination, about being in the present and existing in the past; about painting, drawing, chopping and changing; about thinking, discussing, arguing and listening. Tom's life is a tale of a century of creativity and how 'things' come to define who we are - and help us look ahead to where we're going.

Collapsible content

About the Author

Tom Karen

Tom arrived in Britain from Czechoslovakia in 1942 (the middle of WWII).

In 1962 he took charge of Ogle Design as MD and Chief Designer after previously working in the Aircraft Industry, Ford, Hotpoint and Phillips.

Tom has given many talks on design and tutored at the Royal College of Art. A constant in his career was his love of children - designing and making toys, running workshops and writing books for them. He has honorary degrees from Loughborough and Hertfordshire Universities.

  • Professionally Packed

    All of our books that have a dust wrapper are covered in clear protective, removable film and are packed professionally in bubble wrap and a box for shipping so that they reach you in perfect condition.

  • Book Condition & Notes

    All of our books that a have dust wrapper are covered in clear protective, removable film and are packed professionally in bubble wrap and a box for shipping so that they reach you in perfect condition.

  • An Interview with David Wragg

    An Interview with David Wragg

    Goldsboro Books

    We recently had the joy of hosting David Wragg as he signed copies of The Company of the Wolf, the sequel to The Hunters in the Tales of the Plains...

    Goldsboro Books

    An Interview with David Wragg

    We recently had the joy of hosting David Wragg as he signed copies of The Company of the Wolf, the sequel to The Hunters in the Tales of the Plains...

  • Goldsboro's Summer Bestseller List: London vs Brighton

    Goldsboro's Summer Bestseller List: London vs B...

    David Headley

    We’re delighted to reveal our summer bestseller lists from our independent bookshops in Brighton and London. This summer has been another incredible season for the book community, highlighting a strong...

    David Headley

    Goldsboro's Summer Bestseller List: London vs B...

    We’re delighted to reveal our summer bestseller lists from our independent bookshops in Brighton and London. This summer has been another incredible season for the book community, highlighting a strong...

  • An Interview with David Fennell

    An Interview with David Fennell

    Goldsboro Books

    We had David Fennell in to sign our copies of A Violent Heart! Full of suspense, the return of DI Archer will have you gripped until the very last page....

    Goldsboro Books

    An Interview with David Fennell

    We had David Fennell in to sign our copies of A Violent Heart! Full of suspense, the return of DI Archer will have you gripped until the very last page....

  • An Interview with Laura Shepperson

    An Interview with Laura Shepperson

    Goldsboro Books

    We recently had Laura Shepperson in to sign her special edition copies of The Heir of Venus. From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a new spellbinding retelling set at...

    Goldsboro Books

    An Interview with Laura Shepperson

    We recently had Laura Shepperson in to sign her special edition copies of The Heir of Venus. From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a new spellbinding retelling set at...

1 of 4