I whooped with delight when I found this beautiful book under my Christmas tree – a present from the ever-so-lovely Nix and Orla of Harding & Read.  As I untied the red ribbon and unfurled the brown paper it was perfectly wrapped in, I knew straight away that this book would be my perfect fireside companion for the coming winter nights. I had admired its beautiful cover in Foyle’s only weeks before and put it on my Christmas list as soon as I heard it being read on Radio 4 as their Book of the Week, to much aplomb.

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 us  how – and why. With a cast which includes Chinese empresses, Richard the Lionheart, Bing Crosby – even Michael Phelps – 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, this fabulous tome offers an unforgettable adventure through our past, present and future.

The Golden Thread is the history of the world through the eye of a needle. It is all at once informative, absorbing and utterly charming.

Thank you Harding & Read, for popping it under my tree.

‘Will make you rethink your relationship with fabric ELLE DECORATION

A quietly feminist history that takes us on a journey from the silk roads to sportswear, from ruffs to spacesuits… I devoured this book. SUNDAY TIMES

You can buy this book from Foyles here. Hardback RRP £20.

by Sophie Coryton, Founder of The Room Service