The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History
By Kassia St Clair

** A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK **'Fascinating . . . The history of the world through the eye of a needle . . . I recommend this book to anyone'and THE SPECTATOR'A charming, absorbing and history that takes us on a journey from the silk roads to sportswear, from ruffs to spacesuits . . . I devoured this quietly feminist book'and SUNDAY TIMES'Joyful and beautiful'and NATURE'Will make you rethink your relationship with fabric'and ELLE DECORATIONAll textiles begin with a twist. From colourful 30,000-year old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to what theand linenand wrappings of Tutankhamun's mummy actually meant; from theand Silkand Roads to theand woollenand sails that helped the Vikings reach America 700 years before Columbus; from theand laceand ruffs that infuriated the puritans to the Indianand calicoesand andand chintzesand that powered the Industrial Revolution, our continuing reinvention of cloth tells fascinating stories of human ingenuity.When we talk of lives hanging by a thread, being interwoven, or part of the social fabric, we are part of a tradition that stretches back many thousands of years. Fabric has allowed us to achieve extraordinary things and survive in unlikely places, and this book shows you how -- and why.With a cast that includes Chinese empresses, Richard the Lionheart and Bing Crosby, Kassia St Clair takes us on the run with escaped slaves, climbing the slopes of Everest and moonwalking with astronauts. Running like a bright line through history,and The Golden Threadand offers an unforgettable adventure through our past, present and future.