{"title":"Books by Kassia St Clair","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781473630833","title":"The Secret Lives of Colour","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'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.'  \u003cbr\u003eSimon Garfield\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Secret Lives of Colour \u003c\/i\u003etells the unusual stories of the 75 most fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From \u003cb\u003eblonde\u003c\/b\u003e to \u003cb\u003eginger\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003ebrown\u003c\/b\u003e that changed the way battles were fought to the \u003cb\u003ewhite\u003c\/b\u003e that protected against the plague, Picasso's \u003cb\u003eblue\u003c\/b\u003e period to the \u003cb\u003echarcoal\u003c\/b\u003e on the cave walls at Lascaux, \u003cb\u003eacid\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eyellow\u003c\/b\u003e to\u003cb\u003e kelly green\u003c\/b\u003e, and from \u003cb\u003escarlet\u003c\/b\u003e women to \u003cb\u003eimperial purple\u003c\/b\u003e, 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\u003cb\u003e chrome yellow \u003c\/b\u003esunflowers or punk's \u003cb\u003efluorescent pink\u003c\/b\u003e) into a unique study of human civilisation. Across fashion and politics, art and war, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eSecret Lives of Colour\u003c\/i\u003e tell the vivid story of our culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43204503208114,"sku":"9781473630833","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57682730910069,"sku":"9781399823586","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781473630833_6ecd3f67-c7f1-4598-abfc-aba6f79b7794.jpg?v=1792511672"},{"product_id":"9781473659056","title":"The Golden Thread","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e** A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK **\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Fascinating . . . The history of the world through the eye of a needle . . . I recommend this book to anyone' \u003c\/b\u003eTHE SPECTATOR\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eA 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' \u003c\/b\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Joyful and beautiful'\u003c\/b\u003e NATURE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e'\u003c\/i\u003eWill make you rethink your relationship with fabric' \u003c\/b\u003eELLE DECORATION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll textiles begin with a twist. From colourful 30,000-year old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to what the \u003cb\u003elinen\u003c\/b\u003e wrappings of Tutankhamun's mummy actually meant; from the \u003cb\u003eSilk\u003c\/b\u003e Roads to the \u003cb\u003ewoollen\u003c\/b\u003e sails that helped the Vikings reach America 700 years before Columbus; from the \u003cb\u003elace\u003c\/b\u003e ruffs that infuriated the puritans to the Indian \u003cb\u003ecalicoes\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003echintzes\u003c\/b\u003e that powered the Industrial Revolution, our continuing reinvention of cloth tells fascinating stories of human ingenuity. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith 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, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Thread \u003c\/i\u003eoffers an unforgettable adventure through our past, present and future.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204532764850,"sku":"9781473659056","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781473659056_99e62477-d333-4740-8552-7f3b4258007c.jpg?v=1786020638"},{"product_id":"9781529386059","title":"The Race to the Future","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An incredible and stirring\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003estory . . . a mix of competition, camaraderie as well as a larky sense of adventure . . .\u003c\/b\u003e Down goes the flag. Smash goes the bottle. Shards of emerald glass and champagne spume catch the light. The race from Peking to Paris has begun' \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'And it's Go, Go, Go . . . \u003cb\u003eA captivating history of a seemingly impossible journey\u003c\/b\u003e and one of the most challenging endurance trials in the history of motoring . . . \u003cb\u003eSkillful researcher and fine storyteller, St Clair's narrative is full of surprises . . . Fabulous . . .\u003c\/b\u003e she hopes to follow Prince Borghese on his \u003cb\u003eheroic \u003c\/b\u003ejourney and - if you share my absorbed interest in her adventurous narrative you may want to emulate her. See you there?' Miranda Seymour, \u003ci\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e10 June 1907, Peking. Five cars set off in a desperate race across two continents on the verge of revolution.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn 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\u003cb\u003e,\u003c\/b\u003e sent by telegram, are eagerly devoured by millions in one of the first ever global news stories. Their destination: Paris.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Race to the Future\u003c\/i\u003e is the incredible true story of the quest against the odds that shaped the world we live in today.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685891613045,"sku":"9781529386073","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529386073.jpg?v=1792599120"},{"product_id":"9780500028858","title":"Liberty","description":"Liberty—an icon of design innovation and luxury—is renowned internationally for fabric designs on silk, wool, cashmere and, most famously, Tana LawnTM Cotton. Gathered here are 150 of the most striking and significant Liberty patterns, ranging from much-loved florals to bold and abstract designs and contemporary collaborations.Published to mark Liberty’s 150th anniversary, this beautifully produced book places fabrics in the context of the store’s wider design history—from the retailer’s remarkable Tudor-revival building to posters, advertising, and branding. It presents the very latest examples of Liberty design alongside prints, drawings, and samples from the company’s outstanding archive, telling an inspiring, century-long story of manufacturing quality and design excellence.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55206130319733,"sku":"9780500028858","price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500028858.jpg?v=1786013713"},{"product_id":"9781324094913","title":"The Race to the Future – 8,000 Miles to Paris – The Adventure That Accelerated the Twentieth Century","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe racers-an Italian prince and his chauffeur, a French racing driver, a con man, and several rival journalists-battle over steep inclines, through narrow mountain passages, and across the arid Gobi Desert. Competitors endure torrential rain and choking dust. There are barely any roads, and petrol is almost impossible to find. A global audience of millions follows each twist and turn, devouring reports telegraphed from the course.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore than its many adventures, the Peking-to-Paris Motor Challenge took place on the precipice of a new world. As the twentieth century dawned, imperial regimes in China and Russia were crumbling, paving the way for the rise of communist ones. The electric telegraph was rapidly transforming modern communication, and with it, the news media, commerce, and politics. Suspended between the old and the new, the Peking-to-Paris, as best-selling historian Kassia St. Clair writes, became a critical tipping point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA gripping, immersive narrative of the race, \u003cem\u003eThe Race to the Future\u003c\/em\u003e sets the drivers’ derring-do (and occasional cheating) against the backdrop of a larger geopolitical and technological race to the future. Interweaving events from the fall of the Qing dynasty to the departure of the horse economy and the rise of gendered marketing, St. Clair shows how the Peking-to-Paris provided an impetus for profound social, cultural, and industrial change, while masterfully capturing the mounting tensions between nations and empires—all building up to the cataclysmic event that changed everything: the First World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Consistently mind-boggling, often funny, and occasionally hair-raising” (Philip Ball), \u003cem\u003eThe Race to the Future\u003c\/em\u003e is the incredible true story of the quest against the odds that propelled us along the road to modernity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367977759093,"sku":"9781324094913","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781324094913_ff2499f0-9c74-4094-9980-fb0773658232.jpg?v=1786034654"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-kassia-st-clair.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}