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Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World

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Arrives Wednesday, Sep 24
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Format: Paperback


Description

A magnificent work of original research that unravels history through textiles and cloth—how we make it, use it, and what it means to us. A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice How is a handmade fabric helping save an ancient forest? Why is a famous fabric pattern from India best known by the name of a Scottish town? How is a Chinese dragon robe a diagram of the whole universe? What is the difference between how the Greek Fates and the Viking Norns used threads to tell our destiny? In Fabric, bestselling author Victoria Finlay spins us round the globe, weaving stories of our relationship with cloth and asking how and why people through the ages have made it, worn it, invented it, and made symbols out of it. And sometimes why they have fought for it. She beats the inner bark of trees into cloth in Papua New Guinea, fails to handspin cotton in Guatemala, visits tweed weavers at their homes in Harris, and has lessons in patchwork-making in Gee's Bend, Alabama - where in the 1930s, deprived of almost everything they owned, a community of women turned quilting into an art form. She began her research just after the deaths of both her parents —and entwined in the threads she found her personal story too. Fabric is not just a material history of our world, but Finlay's own journey through grief and recovery. Read more


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pegasus Books (November 8, 2022)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639363904


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 02


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.6 x 8.25 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #104,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Polymers & Textiles #58 in Textile & Costume (Books) #282 in Art History (Books)


#2 in Polymers & Textiles:


#58 in Textile & Costume (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Masterly woven
Victoria Finlay weaves a trove of first-hand observations, mythological, historical, and technological facts about all types of threads and fabrics into the warp of her love for her parents and the grief of losing them (what a wonderful tribute), the end result being a marvelously information-rich, yet deeply moving book. I loved “Color”, enjoyed “Jewels”, but “Fabric” is her best one yet. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2023 by ic1
    • Everything you ever wanted to know about Fabric
Fabulous book. The history of fabrics by type, from bark cloth to silk. Engaging writing style. I plan to read her book on color next. If you can remember the fascinating details, you'll be a conversational hit at the next cocktail party! you attend.
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2022 by pegipeggy
    • Cheaply made
I love Victoria's books and the other books of hers that I own are paperback, as well, but they're much better quality. Everything about this book is cheaply made. The cover and paper are very thin and just poor quality. I expected better. Returned it and will see about getting a used hardback instead. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2022 by kriking
    • Callahan’s Books Review
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For my marbles, the most ambitious books are those that attempt to tell the story of something impossibly large. I love the chutzpah of an author who looks at a Godzilla topic and says “yeah let me toss a lasso ‘round that.” Good luck! But why shouldn’t Victoria Finlay craft the history of fabric into an enlightening book for a mainstream audience? We already know she’s good with a lasso. In her book “Color: A Natural History of the Palette” Finlay tackled a subject so familiar that one may never have considered it to have a life of its own. The genius is in first recognizing the historical significance of color — and now fabric — and then delighting readers with vivid details from a dramatic historical canon. ‘Fabric’ takes you around the world to see how & why different cultures developed unique textiles, and what consequences were spawned from these preferences. From antiquity to the industrial revolution; from Alabama to Guatemala, you might feel like Phileas Fogg (or Bill & Ted!) turning pages through time and space. The deeply researched travelogue aspect of ‘Fabric’ was great, but anticipated. The author’s openness in writing about the loss of her parents was unexpected and added a sadly relatable layer to her story. Suffering this bereavement shortly before work on the book began in earnest, Finlay’s personal journey through grief gave ‘Fabric’ a rich human texture. Not only did she lasso another Godzilla of a topic: she did it with a broken heart. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022 by Callahan’s Books Callahan’s Books
    • Amazing
I had not heard of Victoria Finlay or Fabric when I received it as a gift. Not only enjoyed it immensely and marvel at her research have many personal ties to the subject matter. Highly recommend it, long but never dull.
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2022 by Susan Boykin
    • Great fiber book
I loved her book on color and so far this seems to be in the same category.
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2023 by lwd

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