The Golden Thread
By Kassia St. Clair
How Fabric Changed History. Liveright, 2019.
Summary of The Golden Thread book by Kassia St. Clair
A unique journey through the history of textiles and how it has influenced human life over the ages, spinning a tale that covers everything from cavemen’s fabrics to the design of the Apollo spacecraft’s suits.
Chapters in The Golden Thread book summary
What do you get from this book? The gripping yarn of fabrics and how they’ve shaped our lives through history
Fabrics have been with us since the dawn of human history—even some cavemen were weavers
The Egyptian mummies’ shrouds demonstrate just how important fabric was to their societies
Silk is at the heart of Chinese history, from early myths to its political evolution over the millennia
The Vikings’ use of wool helped them conquer much of britain and even allowed them to reach America
Medieval England was dominated by wool and its production, and the riches it brought shaped society
The many fashions in lace style around the Renaissance changed the fortunes of cities across Europe
Cotton’s influence on the slave trade and early synthetic factories show the darkest side of fabric production
Technological innovations in textiles have revolutionized everything from space travel to sports
There has been a fountain of controversy over synthetic fabrics, affecting sports and, more crucially, the environment
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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The Golden Thread — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read The Golden Thread book
- fashionistas
- those interested in technology
- embroidery fans
About the author of The Golden Thread
Kassia St. Clair
Kassia St. Clair is an author and columnist who has written for publications ranging from The Economist to Elle Decoration. She is a graduate of the University of Bristol and the University of Oxford. Her previous critically acclaimed work includes The Secret Lives of Color (2017).
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