History Of Commodities & Objects Books

4 stars. Attlee, who knows and loves Italy and the Italians, takes the reader through the country's scented gardens with her sharp descriptions, pertinent stories and quotes and intriguing recipes. I was there with her' Anna del Conte, Sunday TelegraphA delightful book about Italy's...

Subtle, compendious and rich' - James McConnachie, The Sunday Times'Dazzling ... Finlay's adventures, vividly recounted, make enthralling reading ... This book is equally an inspiration and an education' - Bel Mooney, Daily Mail'A gorgeous adventure through the history of cloth' - StylistThe Sunday Times...

This book deserves a place in your bookcase next to Harari's Sapiens. It's every bit as fascinating and is surely destined to be just as successful' Julian Norton From the plains of ancient Mesopotamia to the vast sheep farms of modern-day Australia, sheep have...

This riveting behind-the-scenes story of the clothes on our backs is a must-read for clotheshorses everywhere' Harper's Bazaar 'Extraordinary . . . fascinating . . . a wonderful way into history, quite often through the voices of people who don't have a say in...

**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** **RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK** **WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH**'An astonishing feat'Christina Patterson, Sunday Times'An inspiring and moving sideways look at history'Eithne Farry, Sunday Express An eloquent blend of history and memoir, Threads of Life is an evocative and...

An acerbic, compelling and always accessible account of how opium corrupted the world' TLS'The writing is sublime, the research thorough, the eye for story superb' Sunday TelegraphWhen Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels the Ibis Trilogy, he was startled...

Three textile roads tangle their way through Central Asia. The famous Silk Road united east and west through trade. Older still was the Wool Road, of critical importance when houses made from wool enabled nomads to traverse the inhospitable winter steppes. Then there was...

`A breathtaking, expansive and imaginative ride through the history and future of money from an author who truly understands it'�PROFESSOR BRIAN COX `Exceptional' FINANCIAL TIMES� `A cracking book that is as enjoyable as it is readable'�PETER FRANKOPAN `Equally entertaining and insightful'�YANIS VAROUFAKIS _______________________________________________________ MONEY....

There is not just one story of silk. In silk is science, history and mythology. In silk is the future. Aarathi Prasad's Silk is a gorgeous new history weaving together the story of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia. Through...

The reed goes on, the reed comes off. The reed rots and returns to the earth. The houses we work on outlast us. The thatch we use has never stood still. On The Roof is a thatcher's tale - a journey of discovery, and...

The story of herring is entwined in the history of commercial fishing. For over two millennia, herring has been commercially caught and its importance to the coastal peoples of Britain cannot be measured. At one point tens of thousands were involved in the catching,...

Homer called it a divine substance. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. As Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates here, salt has shaped civilisation from the beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind. Wars...