Book of the day - out of the blue

    "For almost five millennia, indigo - a blue pigment obtained from the small green leaf of a parasitic shrub - has been at the centre of turbulent human encounters, prized by slave traders, religious figures and the fashion world.

    "Indigo: In Search of the Colour That Seduced the World by Catherine McKinley is the story of this precious dye and its ancient heritage: its relationship to slavery as the 'hidden half' of the transatlantic slave trade, its profound influence on fashion, and its spiritual significance, which is little recognised but no less alive today. It is a richly told story, brimming with electrifying tales of those who shaped the course of colonial history and world economy."

    Victoria Finlay, whose Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox I strongly recommend, says of Indigo, "A charming book: ethereal, wise, personal, as well as an imaginative exploration of what this colour really might be, when you go under the surface of its just being about blue".

(Book of the day - once upon a time ... is here).

Comments

[Marianne]

I'm immediately reminded of books like Deborah Moggach's Tulip Fever and Dava Sobel's Longitude. I wonder, is the book actual fiction (so more like Tulip Fever) or creative/narrative non-fiction (like Longitude)? Either way, sounds fascinating!

[adele geras]

Lovely! Sounds great.

[Cornflower]

Non-fiction, Marianne: "a moving and lyrical journey through several continents and through the writer's internal landscapes ..."
Apparently, as part of the personal quest aspect, Catherine McKinley has looked into her ancestral Scots clan, one who wore indigo tartan!

[Cornflower]

And that beautiful blue cover ...!

[Dark Puss]

Spiritual significance? Please elaborate. Also what makes this book "ethereal"?

If you ever come down south with enough time to come with me to my laboratory (Igor! Put away the electrodes please, we have company) then I'll show you some blue and violet lights to rival this! Just being about blue indeed! Huh ...

[Cornflower]

When I've read it I shall endeavour to answer both your questions, DP.
I would like to see your lights!

[Nancy]

Victoria Finlay's _Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox_ is one of my favorite books - and I particularly loved the portion on chasing down the roots of the blues. Thanks for reminding me about it - have to get it out again and have another go...

[Margaret Powling]

Way-hay, more people who love Victoria Finlay's Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox! What a great read that is. Similarly I have the book Mauve by Simon Garfield, about how a chemist, William Perkin, discovered a way to mass-produce colour in a factory. I quote from the dustwrapper:
"Perkin found mauve by chance ... Mauve led to new crimsons, violets, blues and greens, and earned its inventor a fortune, but its importance extended far beyond ballgowns. Before mauve, chemistry was largely a theoretical science. After it, science created huge industries, and the impact of the new colour had fundamental effects on the develoment of explosives, perfume, photography and modern medicine."
I have no idea how true this statement is, but it is another book in the canon of those on colour.
As for Indigo, I shall certainly put this on my List!

[lila]

Those of us who love blue (my blog is Indigo Pears) are really drawn to this book! It was a great read this summer! Armchair travel at it's best! I am so glad that she had the heart and courage to travel there and then write about it!

I've also enjoyed the Finlay book, tracing the origins of the wonderful hues in my paintbox!

[Cornflower]

I'd like to read Mauve! Thankyou, Margaret.