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A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage and the Quest for the Colour of Desire

A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage and the Quest for the Colour of Desire

by Amy Butler Greenfield (Author)

  • Used

    Paperback 2006

    $7.17
Synopsis

A Perfect Red recounts the colourful history of cochineal, a legendary red dye that was once one of the world's most precious commodities. Treasured by the ancient Mexicans, cochineal was sold in the great Aztec marketplaces, where it attracted the attention of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Shipped to Europe, the dye created a sensation, producing the brightest, strongest red the world had ever seen. Soon Spain's cochineal monopoly was worth a fortune. Desperate to find their own sources of the elusive dye, the English, the French, the Dutch, and other Europeans tried to crack the enigma of cochineal. Did it come from a worm, a berry, a seed? Could it be stolen from Mexico and transplanted to their own colonies? Pirates, explorers, alchemists, scientists, and spies - all joined the chase for cochineal, a chase that lasted for more than three centuries. A Perfect Red tells their stories - true-life tales of mystery, empire, and adventure, in pursuit of the most desirable colour on earth.

$7.17

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2 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 432
 Edition: New edition
 Publisher: Black Swan
Published: 06 Jun 2006
ISBN 10: 0552771287
ISBN 13: 9780552771283
Book Overview: A dramatic history of cochineal, the small Mexican beetle whose precious red dye provoked global intrigue and piracy from medieval times to the present day - for fans of Mark Kurlansky

Media Reviews
A gem of accessible history. -- San Diego Union-Tribune
With A PERFECT RED, she does for [red] what Mark Kurlansky in SALT did for that common commodity. --Houston Chronicle
Delightful, rollicking history . . . A fun read, well-supported by extensive research. --Los Angeles Times Book Review
Greenfield does what the best historical authors do--follows the thread of a story through history without missing a stitch. --Cleveland Plain Dealer
[An] intricate history...Greenfield paints a broad historical panorama, never neglecting the intimate, eccentric, and often absurd human details. --Boston Globe
A gem of accessible history. --San Diego Union-Tribune
A fascinating story of greed and subterfuge, mixing fashion, folly and ingenuity in equal measure... Written with style and verve. --J. H. Elliott, University of Oxford
Fascinating...Greenfield has given us a superbly researched history of cochineal red, full of angles and tangents, curiosities and arcana. --Diane Ackerman, Washington Post Book World
A marvelous book... Meticulously researched, this saga will enchant lovers of historical mysteries, fascinating characters, and world economics. --Mark Pendergrast, author of UNCOMMON GROUNDS and MIRROR MIRROR
A gem of accessible history. --San Diego Union-Tribune
Greenfield does what the best historical authors do--follows the thread of a story through history without missing a stitch. --Cleveland Plain Dealer
Delightful, rollicking history . . . A fun read, well-supported by extensive research. --Los Angeles Times Book Review
A marvelous book... Meticulously researched, this saga will enchant lovers of historical mysteries, fascinating characters, and world economics. --Mark Pendergrast, author of UNCOMMON GROUNDS and MIRROR MIRROR
Fascinating...Greenfield has given us a superbly researched history of cochineal red, full of angles and tangents, curiosities and arcana. --Diane Ackerman, Washington Post Book World
With A PERFECT RED, she does for [red] what Mark Kurlansky in SALT did for that common commodity. --Houston Chronicle
A fascinating story of greed and subterfuge, mixing fashion, folly and ingenuity in equal measure... Written with style and verve. --J. H. Elliott, University of Oxford
[An] intricate history...Greenfield paints a broad historical panorama, never neglecting the intimate, eccentric, and often absurd human details. --Boston Globe
Author Bio
AMY BUTLER GREENFIELD studied Spanish medieval history at Harvard and Oxford. She is descended from a family of textile dyers and is a member of the dyers guild in London.