The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Fashion
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History Details
Review “Fascinating.... Written in elegant prose, this tour of textile history will draw in readers interested in human evolution and culture.” - Publishers Weekly [starred review]“A fascinating look at one of those everyday things many of us take for granted: fabric. Instead of tackling fabric’s entire history, St. Clair.... skips across centuries and around the world, sharing accessible and telling stories.... Whether sharing the silk-making secrets of Chinese empresses or exposing the benefits of performance-enhancing swimsuits, this extensively documented and always entertaining overview works equally well for reading cover to cover or dipping into for snippets.” - Kathleen McBroom, Booklist“[A] spirited, illuminating cultural history on essential fibers that have been spun, knitted, and woven throughout time, from traces of thread discovered in Neolithic caves to the multilayered "one-person spaceships" worn by American astronauts.... Vibrant, entertaining, and brightly informative.” - Kirkus Reviews“Hugely ambitious, sparklingly erudite, and wonderfully engaging.” - Peter Frankopan, History Today“Joyful and beautiful.” - Nature“Will make you rethink your relationship with fabric.” - Elle Decoration“The history of the world through the eye of a needle.... [F]ascinating.... I recommend this book to anyone.” - Katrina Gulliver, Spectator“A charming, absorbing history that takes us on a journey from the silk roads to sportswear, from ruffs to spacesuits.... I devoured this quietly feminist book.” - Sunday Times Read more About the Author Kassia St. Clair is a journalist and author who has written about design and culture for publications including the Economist, Elle, and the Times Literary Supplement. The author of The Secret Lives of Color, St. Clair lives in London. Read more
Reviews
As a weavers and knitter, I was fascinated by this book, but you don't have to have a special interest in textiles to enjoy reading it. It's well researched and written and the different chapters covering distinct aspects of the history and development of making and using fabric really keep it interesting. Well worth it!Edit: Having now read the final chapters of the book, which deal with the darker aspects of fabric production such as slavery, forced labor, and intolerable working conditions, I consider this book an important must-read.