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Colour

Travels Through the Paintbox

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Colour

By: Victoria Finlay
Narrated by: Victoria Finlay
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'A rare and wonderful book... I could not be more enthusiastic.' Simon Winchester

'A treasure trove of human history and obsession...the breadth of research and insight is dazzling.' Glasgow Herald

'A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic' Independent on Sunday

On a journey that takes her from Afghanistan, to the Australian outback, to ancient caves in China, and the saffron harvest in Spain, Victoria Finlay gives an extraordinary and compelling account of the history of colour.

On a journey that takes her from Afghanistan, to the Australian outback, to ancient caves in China, and the saffron harvest in Spain, Victoria Finlay gives an extraordinary and compelling account of the history of colour.

Colour unlocks the history of the colours of the rainbow, and reveals how paints came to be invented, discovered, traded and used. This remarkable and beautifully written book, part travelogue part narrative history, remembers a time when red paint was really the colour of blood, when orange was the poison pigment, blue as expensive as gold, and yellow made from the urine of cows force-fed with mangoes. It looks at how green was carried by yaks along the silk road, and how an entire nation was founded on the colour purple.

Exciting, richly informative, and always surprising, Colour lifts the lid on the historical palette and unearths an astonishing wealth of stories about the quest for colours, and our efforts to understand them.

(P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2002 Victoria Finlay Art Travel Writing & Commentary Inspiring
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I loved the entertaining side of this book. Yes, you also get lots of facts and information about colour, pigment and dyes but it’s the stories of her travels that made it a great listen.

Very entertaining

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I love colours and enjoy listening to the history on how the colours were derived. It gets heavy though. Combined with what I learned from other sources, I feel a bit down after. When I see colours, I feel inexplicable happiness. But now, I don't know if could, or should, still smile as brightly when I see royal blue. There are others but I specifically like this colour. Sigh.

Vivid history behind colours

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brilliant story that's ignites passion in the most mundane daily sights, well worth a listen.

a new way to see the world

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Fascinating stories of where colours are from, a subject I had never considered until I came across this book. I will certainly read (or listen to) others that she has written.

Fascinating

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Fascinating account of the sources and uses of colour categorised using the spectrum of the rainbow and more, historically and meticulously researched and read by the author who conveys her profound understanding of the subject so clearly.

Perfectly read by the author. A triumph

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