Wednesday, January 27, 2021

"The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History", by Kassia St. Clair


I last wrote about Kassia St. Clair when I reviewed her book, "The Secret Lives of Colour", in June of 2019. The book, her first, was a really good read. About 70 colours were profiled by St. Clair, each one with its own history. Readers learned how colours are experienced differently in different cultures, how precious dyes came to signify elite status, and how the toxicity of some dyes drove innovation in dye manufacture.

I was reminded of St. Clair when my friend Lauma shared with me a link for a video from Karen Brown, featuring a 38-minute interview with Kassia St. Clair, discussing "The Secret Lives of Colour" as well as her most recent book. 

"The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History", weaves the fascinating story of how textiles have driven human development in areas like technology, trade and even space exploration. The book has been well-received, having been chosen as a Sunday Times Book of the Year, and nominated for the Somerset Maugham Award.

A recent review of "The Golden Thread" is available from The Washington Post.  

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