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10 June 1907, Peking. Five cars set off in a desperate race across
two continents on the verge of revolution. An Italian prince and
his chauffeur, a French racing driver, a conman and various
journalists battle over steep mountain ranges and across the arid
vastness of the Gobi Desert. The contestants need teams of helpers
to drag their primitive cars up narrow gorges, lift them over rough
terrain and float them across rivers. Petrol is almost impossible
to find, there are barely any roads, armed bandits and wolves lurk
in the forests. Updates on their progress, sent by telegram, are
eagerly devoured by millions in one of the first ever global news
stories. Their destination: Paris. More than its many adventures,
the Peking-to-Paris provided the impetus for profound change. The
world of 1907 is poised between the old and the new: communist
regimes will replace imperial ones in China and Russia; the
telegraph is transforming modern communication and the car will
soon displace the horse. In this book bestselling author Kassia St
Clair traces the fascinating stories of two interlocking races -
setting the derring-do (and sometimes cheating) of one of the
world's first car races against the backdrop of a larger
geopolitical and technological rush to the future, as the rivalry
grows between countries and empires, building up to the cataclysmic
event that changed everything - the First World War. The Race to
the Future is the incredible true story of the quest against the
odds that shaped the world we live in today. PRAISE FOR KASSIA ST
CLAIR 'Excellent, innovative and idiosyncratic history that will
colour your thinking . . . St Clair writes with style, energy and
knowledge' SPECTATOR 'Hugely ambitious, sparklingly erudite and
wonderfully engaging' PETER FRANKOPAN, HISTORY TODAY
One of USA Today's "100 Books to Read While Stuck at Home During
the Coronavirus Crisis" A dazzling gift, the unforgettable, unknown
history of colors and the vivid stories behind them in a beautiful
multi-colored volume. "Beautifully written . . . Full of anecdotes
and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the
answers." -NPR, Best Books of 2017 The Secret Lives of Color tells
the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and
hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles
were fought to the white that protected against the plague,
Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux,
acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial
purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread
throughout history. In this book, Kassia St. Clair has turned her
lifelong obsession with colors and where they come from (whether
Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink)
into a unique study of human civilization. Across fashion and
politics, art and war, the secret lives of color tell the vivid
story of our culture. "This passionate and majestic compedium will
leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light." -Elle
** 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' 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' SUNDAY
TIMES 'Joyful and beautiful' NATURE 'Will make you rethink your
relationship with fabric' ELLE DECORATION All textiles begin with a
twist. From colourful 30,000-year old threads found on the floor of
a Georgian cave to what the linen wrappings of Tutankhamun's mummy
actually meant; from the Silk Roads to the woollen sails that
helped the Vikings reach America 700 years before Columbus; from
the lace ruffs that infuriated the puritans to the Indian calicoes
and chintzes 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, The Golden Thread offers an unforgettable
adventure through our past, present and future.
From colorful threads found on the floor of an ancient Georgian
cave to the Indian calicoes that fueled the Industrial Revolution,
The Golden Thread illuminates the myriad and fascinating histories
behind the cloths that came to define human civilization-the
fabric, for example, that allowed mankind to shatter athletic
records, and the textile technology that granted us the power to
survive in space. Exploring the enduring association of textiles
with "women's work," Kassia St. Clair "spins a rich social history
. . . that also reflects the darker side of technology" (Rachel
Newcomb, Washington Post).
10 June 1907, Peking. Five cars set off in a desperate race across
two continents on the verge of revolution. An Italian prince and
his chauffeur, a French racing driver, a conman and various
journalists battle over steep mountain ranges and across the arid
vastness of the Gobi Desert. The contestants need teams of helpers
to drag their primitive cars up narrow gorges, lift them over rough
terrain and float them across rivers. Petrol is almost impossible
to find, there are barely any roads, armed bandits and wolves lurk
in the forests. Updates on their progress, sent by telegram, are
eagerly devoured by millions in one of the first ever global news
stories. Their destination: Paris. More than its many adventures,
the Peking-to-Paris provided the impetus for profound change. The
world of 1907 is poised between the old and the new: communist
regimes will replace imperial ones in China and Russia; the
telegraph is transforming modern communication and the car will
soon displace the horse. In this book bestselling author Kassia St
Clair traces the fascinating stories of two interlocking races -
setting the derring-do (and sometimes cheating) of one of the
world's first car races against the backdrop of a larger
geopolitical and technological rush to the future, as the rivalry
grows between countries and empires, building up to the cataclysmic
event that changed everything - the First World War. The Race to
the Future is the incredible true story of the quest against the
odds that shaped the world we live in today. PRAISE FOR KASSIA ST
CLAIR 'Excellent, innovative and idiosyncratic history that will
colour your thinking . . . St Clair writes with style, energy and
knowledge' SPECTATOR 'Hugely ambitious, sparklingly erudite and
wonderfully engaging' PETER FRANKOPAN, HISTORY TODAY
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A mind-expanding tour of the world
without leaving your paintbox. Every colour has a story, and here
are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking.
Very hard painting the hallway magnolia after this inspiring
primer.' Simon Garfield The Secret Lives of Colour tells the
unusual stories of the 75 most fascinating shades, dyes and hues.
From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were
fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's
blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid
yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple,
these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout
history. In this book Kassia St Clair has turned her lifelong
obsession with colours and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's
chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique
study of human civilisation. Across fashion and politics, art and
war, The Secret Lives of Colour tell the vivid story of our
culture.
'A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox.
Every colour has a story, and here are some of the most alluring,
alarming, and thought-provoking. Very hard painting the hallway
magnolia after this inspiring primer.' Simon Garfield The Secret
Lives of Colour tells the unusual stories of the 75 most
fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown
that changed the way battles were fought to the white that
protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to the charcoal
on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from
scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like
a bright thread throughout history. In this book Kassia St Clair
has turned her lifelong obsession with colours and where they come
from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's
fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilisation. Across
fashion and politics, art and war, The Secret Lives of Colour tell
the vivid story of our culture.
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