A really good book if you can get it is "The Medieval Machine" 1976. Gimpel, Jean.
This is a good and readable overview of just how surprisingly mechanised the medieval world was. At this point you start to realise that not just carpenters and fabricators are vital but also the people who design, site and emplace this machinery are essential for survival.
As an aside, if you do historical or historical-fantasy games these things make great adventure locations.
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