This was a fascinating book that was so much more than just the history of the carpet. Rather than going back to the beginning and tracking how carpets came to be and the ways they were culturally important to the regions they were created in, the author picks particular carpets and discusses how those specific carpets are and were important to the whole of the history they interacted with. From archaeological digs, to some of the most important meetings between men, to the impoverished or imprisoned workers who created the carpets, this book shows how the strands of time are woven much like the fibres and knots used to hold the carpets together. Definitely one to check out if you are interested in carpet making or history, or both! I read this e-book through NetGalley.

This nonfiction book explores various snippets of history that are all somehow related to carpets. Each of the twelve main sections starts with a different historical carpet and weaves in topics ranging from materials, tools, designs, and cultural significance to counterfeiting, British imperialism, and the beginnings of the Cold War. I was particularly intrigued by the sections about the Ardabil Carpet, the Black Church Muslim prayer rugs, Hideyoshi’s jinbaori, and the dragon carpet. I really want to see what some of these carpets look like. I read an advanced copy, which did not have any pictures, but I believe the final copy does include photos. Overall, I found this book to be interesting and well-researched.

Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets by Dorothy Armstrong is one of the most fascinating books I’ve read in a long time. I was drawn in by the author’s lyrical style of writing immediately. The subject matter is complex and complicated, loaded with historical and political facts and intrigues and the history and methods of carpet making, yet it was presented in such a way as to be approachable, accessible, and understandable.

The book is divided into twelve chapters, each focused on a specific carpet. It’s not that simple – or boring – though. You are taken on a magic carpet ride, so to speak, across time and space. Ancient history to the present, significant historical figures and places, the state of the world when each particular carpet was created and the disputes, conflicts and machinations involved in creating it, owning it, claiming it, following it through its lifetime and owners. Fascinating, centering situations and events you may have already been aware of on this particular decorative item.

It is apparent significant research went into the writing of this book and that each word was carefully chosen. Often when I would pause with a question, looking for further clarity about a word or phrase or paragraph, author Armstrong anticipated it and the answer I was looking for was right there in the subsequent text.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Threads of Empire via NetGalley. It was so interesting and alive, never dry like a textbook lesson or lecture. I enjoyed learning about these carpets and the stories surrounding them and recommend this book without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was engaging about carpets and had a unique historical feel to this. Dorothy Armstrong was able to tell the tale that I was wanting and I learned a lot in this read.

The rug in my dining room was mass produced and bought at a discount store. It's a purely utilitarian object that I bought and put in my house to keep my dog from slipping on the fake hardwood while he recovered from a sports industry. If the cat barfs on it, fine. If food spills on it, whatever. But as with most things, this kind of ordinary object can carry a real burden of history and importance, some of which are detailed in Dorothy Armstrong's book Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets.

Armstrong examines twelve carpets, each woven with great skill and for various purposes. They have their intended uses—horse blanket, carpet, etc.—but most often it's their second life that brings the most interest. That horse blanket becomes a pawn in the Kremlin's war for identity (and territory). One highly decorated Iranian carpet is turned into wartime garb for a samurai, and that bit of tailoring tells a saga of trade routes and status. A collection of rugs in an otherwise austere chapel in Eastern Europe provides an odd point of connection between a string of Christian priests and the Muslim women who wove—and interworked signs of their faith into—these objects of practical use and worship alike. There are battles of experts over the authenticity of prized specimens, strategic placements at international peace summits, and enough demand for these relics to spur a flourishing trade of fakes sophisticated enough to stay a half-step ahead of authentication methods.

I love these "biography of things" that take a specific and often overlooked object and delve into what it can tell us about people and civilizations that came before us. In this case, the things we place beneath our feet, or under our knees, or between our horse and saddle. Most of the rugs discussed come from the same general area of the world, though the regions where the portions of their respective stories ultimately take place are much more scattered, as are the times in which they were created. The ways these practical objects are turned into trophies, too, is intriguingly multifaceted.

One thing sometimes lost in the discussion about objects and the things they tell us about a long-ago group of people is the individual or individuals who actually made them. For the most part, Armstrong points out, this has been lost to history—not just because of the length of time but also because, to our knowledge, they were skilled but poor, and/or—far worse for the historical record—women. There are few resources to fill in the gaps on who the individual weavers, of course; in some cases, they lived and died millennia ago. Armstrong attempts to fill that gap with suppositions about their lives based on the records we have about what life was like around that time and around that place. While those attempts weren't enough for me to feel I had a firm grasp on the time or place, but it did succeed in making me wonder about the hands that made the rugs in question on an individual level. Isn't imagination the first step to knowing someone? Wondering about their aching bones and the muscle memory that made animals and scenes of adventure appear out of knots and string?

That wondering is the thing that reveals—if not a weakness, then an oversight, or a preference not clearly explained in the front matter. Armstrong writes that her survey is obviously incapable of producing a thorough history of carpets or their makers or the people who have paid in fortune or blood to take possession of them. This is, after all, an "episodic and eclectic" survey of objects and history and power. Though the stories span the world, the origin of each carpet seems to come from a relatively small part of the world. Undoubtedly, the Middle East isn't the only creche for carpet artistry; I'd be interested in the origins of rugs from other regions, and how their legacies have endured. (And this is, as the subtitle tells us, the history of the world in twelve carpets!) Then again, there's a reason "Persian rug" carries such a reputation even today. And perhaps it's flattery for Armstrong that her work has left this reader wanting more.

I will never look at a carpet the same!

THREADS OF EMPIRE: A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN TWELVE CARPETS by Dorothy Armstrong, PhD, comes out tomorrow, 6/17 and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in art, history, or culture. Dr. Armstrong writes lyrical descriptions of each carpet featured and brings the details and research of each into vivid focus. This was so engrossing that I found myself staying up late into the night reading. I did not know carpets could be so fascinating, but the stories and histories in this book are so intriguing!

Despite my late night reading, I cannot wait to get my hands on a finished copy of the book to better see each of the twelve featured carpets. I found myself doing research on each to see the visuals early, since my review copy didn’t yet include those images. Fear not! The final copy will include visuals within the book and it’s sure to make this even more engrossing.

😘 Thanks to @stmartinspress for the gifted early review copy! All opinions are my own.

Dorothy Armstrong examines carpets from a surprising variety of angles, from utility to a projection of power or wealth. Each of the twelve has a story about it’s origin, purpose or destiny. That sounds dry and boring, the reality is full of surprises and the writing more than holds ones interest. While reading one section I kept glancing down at a my wool latch hook rug. My mother bought it as a kit, and conned me into taking it after doing about 3 inches. I realized it is a loose interpretation of a double ended niche design. That design was developed for rugs exported to Transylvania without explicit Muslim images in the 18th century. So that tidbit was interesting on a personal level, but the whole book is interesting that way. There is the question of who decides on a rugs’ authenticity and how is it decided. Could an ‘antique’ rug be a forgery? Then there were carpets made by prisoners in colonial India, which was exemplary of British cultural attitudes at the time. Armstrong is authoritative and the book is well researched.

I received a digital advanced copy compliments of St. Martin’s and NetGalley.

Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets by Dorothy Armstrong offers a unique new way of looking at the historical connections across the globe. Each chapter focuses on one carpet, which Armstrong then uses to talk about the political and historical goings on of the area it was (probably) made in, where it is displayed now, where it was found, how they all interconnect and the carpet might have come from one plce to the other, etc.

Why were certain types of carpets valued as "the best" in different places at different times? I had always assumed it was either personal taste or the quality of the material and construction of the object itself, but Armstrong argues that politics of empire and race actually play a much larger role- and that what was considered "the best" type of carpet therefore changed depending on where you were and what your agenda was. Asthetics had little to do with it.

There were times where the writing was dense and hard to follow. Ironically, this was most often when Armstrong was talking about the rugs themselves. I never felt like I got any real understanding on the technical language of carpets she used, this seemed more like something she assumed you already knew and wasn't going to give a primer on to beginners. Some of the empires and traveling back and forth trade routes might have made better sense to me with maps (I'm more a visual person) but I read an ARC so the final version might have maps and images of the carpets she's talking about.

An interesting way of looking at trade routes, empire building, views of "other" over time and how it all changes through the eyes of carpets. Some chapters were definitely better than others but people interested in a different look at history should give this one a chance.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a wonderful book.Because every chapter had a story behind the carpet and how it related to history. It went back before christ and all the way through the modern times. Especially like the story about when women will get married and maybe make the rugs. Also, it was very interesting.
About in america how they were prized in these homes especially Famous people. Also what's interesting about scotland two and how they looked At Rugs as well. They played important part 2, especially after war 2 when they had the conference of At a t Y e l t. Great book

This book explores the history of twelve significant carpets, revealing the intertwined stories of power, craftsmanship, and the lives of the weavers who created these objects coveted by emperors, shahs, and other world leaders. This fascinating and easy-to-read book offers unique insights into global history.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A fascinating view of carpets through an historical lens

Who hasn't had a rug in their home or place of work at one time or another...in fact, who has had so many over the course of their life that they don't give much thought to what it essentially a floor covering? But Threads of Empire is not talking about the everyday, machine made, area or wall-to-wall carpet so prevalent today; it is instead about carpets woven by hand in small towns and larger cities by artisans who seldom profited greatly from the items they crafted over the last 2000+ years. The art form (and in many instances, that is exactly what it is) has been around for hundreds upon hundreds of years, and author Dorothy Armstrong (referred to in museum and academic circles as "the carpet woman") here tells the story of a dozen specific pieces which have survived until today. This is neither an encyclopedia of different patterns and cultures who produced carpets nor a guide to determining the quality and value of said items, it is a look at the history of the world through a particular prism that considers who the individuals were who created the woven carpets, who valued and possessed them, and how they relate to the trade and politics of the time. The artisans were generally poor, often illiterate and frequently women, while those who would own the items those workers created generally had and/or sought power and wealth, be they rulers, warriors, or heads of religions...the carpets were, and remain, symbols of statur In much the way that Mark Kurlansky wrote about both cod and salt, Ms Armstrong here brings the textiles that have fascinated her for years to a wider audience. Weaving (no pun intended) stories around each of the twelve carpets on which she is focused in the book, she shares information about the cultures and individuals who are believed to have created them, what was going on in that region of the world at that time, what the imagery reflected, and more. From the Hermitage Museum to Britain's V&A and beyond, from famed collector Sir William Burrell to the heads of state at the Yalta Peace Conference, Threads of Empire spans 2500 years of textile history. Every now and again the specificity of detail got a bit much for me, but never so much so that I stopped being engaged in the overall story. Readers of Mark Kurlansky and Peter Frankopan as well as those who appreciate history and art should absolutely give these informative and entertaining read a spot on their TBR list. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (especially to Katie Layton who invited me to read the book) for allowing me access to Threads of Empire in exchange for my honest review.

Fascinating. This is about so much more than carpets but the carpets are the star. Armstrong uses the 12 carpets to explore the context in which they were made and used. She incorporates politics, history, economics. and biography to create an incredibly readable book. Best of all, you'll learn a lot about carpet making and never look at one the same way again. This is written in a journalistic style and those who are interested in more information will appreciate the careful notations. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

Threads of Empire is a captivating and layman accessible monograph by Dr. Dorothy Armstrong about the geopolitical history entwined with textiles (carpets), their history and development from ancient to modern times. Due out 17th June 2025 from Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 368 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

The author is a specialist scholar and curator with expertise in textiles writing deeply and well about her own specialty. She does a good job of illustrating the dichotomy between the powerful ruling classes throughout the ages and the lengths to which they would go to acquire these carpets which were the products of mostly poorer/illiterate/often female weavers.

It's written quite accessibly and in language which won't present many problems for laymen, but it's meticulously annotated throughout and the chapter notes and bibliography/references are likely worth the price of the book alone. The stories behind 12 particular historical carpets, curated by Dr. Armstrong, are fascinating and well told.

It's a niche book, but will definitely be on the radar for readers/fans of textile history, cultural history, political history, and allied subjects.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours 48 minutes and is narrated by Alix Dunmoore. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. It would be an excellent choice for public or university/post-secondary library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Threads of Empire by Dorothy Armstrong

This is a well-researched work of love from author Dorothy Armstrong. It tells the tale of 12 specific rugs throughout history and speculates on the reason for their making and those who made them.

It is very detailed and describes the materials used for the weaving and dyeing of each rug from centuries ago up until the rug shown in a picture of the Yalta Conference after WWII.

Truthfully, I was not the audience for this book, but think it would appeal to those interested in the history of rug making through the centuries. The weaving universally seemed to be done by poor women and even children for the rich and powerful.

I will give this book a four star rating due to the exhaustive research, though I found it too dry for my taste.

5e story of several carpets, and one carpet made into a coat that are expressions of culture, civilization, and ultimately empire. The good and the bad.

Dorothy Armstrong weaves—quite like a rug itself—the stories that one can unravel by pulling, metaphorically speaking, on some loose threads of the famous, remarkable, and ancient carpets known in human history. Through this interwoven approach, one learns about the centuries-old events that defined the power and splendor of the rulers who commissioned or were gifted those rich rugs; about the practices and customs that shaped their restoration and preservation; and about the historians and curators who revealed their own biases and stereotypes when confronted with the challenge of attributing the artifacts. The titular empires are a recurring motif, and that’s an important keyword—both in reference to the power dynamics within the historical formations where (or for whose elites) the rugs were initially created, and to the European empires at their height, when the creation of collections was in full force.

Because the segments about specific rugs are completely unconnected, I won’t hide that I’ve only read a few out of twelve so far and hope to continue with them one by one in between other reads in the future. This is historical scholarship at its best—with all the supporting apparatus—which doesn’t detract from its readability. The review copy I was reading, unfortunately, didn’t have any illustrations, so I had to search for those myself to better follow the descriptions of the intricate and symbolically significant patterns of the rugs, but I assume that the final version will include them, as well as some maps.

Publication date: June 17, 2025.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with the eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 17, 2025
“Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets” by Dorothy Armstrong is exactly as the title implies. Through examinations of twelve of the world’s most intriguing and interesting carpets (yes, that’s a thing), Armstrong outlines what the world looked like during that time, in the area of the specific carpet’s creation, such as Iran, Persia, Turkey and Russia (granted they have different names depending on the era).
I had no idea that there was such a thing as “carpet experts”, but Armstrong is somehow not the only one. Throughout history, there have been many individuals with an interest in carpets, and a general curiousity about where they came from and how they came to be. Armstrong places carpet weaving in the same category as other historical pieces of art, such as wall drawings or ancient tools, and it does make sense. Carpets have been around for several millennia and they do have quite the story to tell.
Armstrong introduces each of the twelve chapters with a specific carpet, identifying its make, description and best guess as to the carpet’s era and location. Then, she proceeds to go into detail about the society at the time and circles around again to the specific carpet and where it is stored or on display (depending on the carpet). As is typical in a historical non-fiction novel, there is lots of political manipulations, wars and struggles for power, as well as overt and subtle racism, sexism and classism and Armstrong details these, using specific carpets as emphasis.
It never even occurred to me to consider carpets as historically relevant, but Armstrong has managed to change my viewpoint. Some areas of “Empire” are dry, and this is the type of story that is geared to a specific audience, but I enjoyed some of the historical information, especially in the earlier chapters when the carpets were uncovered (no pun intended) during archaeological digs. Due to the specialized talent carpet weaving requires, especially in centuries past before modern machines, there is no argument that the creation of carpets, especially historical ones, should be considered artistic masterpieces in their own right.
“Threads” is a unique historical exploration that will hit the right note with a specific group of readers. Fans of political history, especially in the Middle East, and carpet weaving as an art form will enjoy Armstrong’s new non-fiction story.

This book was something I wasn’t sure I would like to I did enjoy this book! I loved the history, the great d ed fails as to all the arguments about the origin of the various rugs. It was so well researched! I love hearing about the things found in various tombs and what all was buried with the nobility. It very fascinating. I re see ally enjoyed this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Excellent! This very well-researched book gives the history of finely made textiles in a truly readable voice. The author has a gift for storytelling, and I both learned a lot from this book and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Anyone who is interested in crafts, textiles, or just good social history would get a lot out of this book. Highly recommended!

Digressive Chat About Carpets
Dorothy Armstrong, Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets (New York: St. Martin’s Press, June 17, 2025). Hardcover: $33. 368pp; Nonfiction. ISBN: 978-1-250321-43-5.
***
“…The stories surrounding twelve of the world’s most fascinating carpets. Beautiful, sensuous, and enigmatic, great carpets follow power. Emperors, shahs, sultans and samurai crave them as symbols of earthly domination. Shamans and priests desire them to evoke the spiritual realm. The world’s 1% hunger after them as displays of extreme status. And yet these seductive objects are made by poor and illiterate weavers, using the most basic materials and crafts; hedgerow plants for dyes, fibers from domestic animals, and the millennia-old skills of interweaving warps, wefts and knots…. Tells the histories of some of the world’s most fascinating carpets, exploring how these textiles came into being then were transformed as they moved across geography and time in the slipstream of the great. She shows why the world’s powerful were drawn to them, but also asks what was happening in the weavers’ lives, and how they were affected by events in the world outside their tent, village or workshop. In its wide-ranging examination of these dazzling objects, from the 5th century BCE contents of the tombs of Scythian chieftains, to the carpets under the boots of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill at the 1945 Yalta Peace Conference,” it “uncovers a new, hitherto hidden past right beneath our feet.”
I have been thinking about crafts lately. There have been many great television series about glass-blowers, sword-shapers and the like. This is a current topic especially because of ongoing discussions about putting enormous tariffs on foreign goods to make American products more sellable. This type of research into just how much extraordinary cheap work goes into making great artistic crafted objects, such as carpets. It would be absurd for Americans to compete with people who have spent generations in such practice. It is also refreshing that history is being cut up into these curious segments. And there have not been enough histories published in English about topics about the East and the Middle East. Our misunderstanding of these places is what’s driving current military wars in the Middle East, and trade ward with the East. So a bit more understanding is useful.
The preface explains that the author has “sometimes” been “referred” to as “the carpet woman” because she has returned to school to focus on studying this subject.
The introduction explains that the first part of this book considers the “movement west of nomadic tribespeople out of the Petri dish of Central Asia from around 500 BCE.” They brough with them “the carpet-weaving practice” of nomads. Then, she refuses “the Eurasia-wide resurgence of the” 15-17th centuries. Then, a look at the “Age of Empire, the peak of Western colonialism” in the 19-20th centuries, when they were guilty of “cultural appropriation” of carpets. This is a useful introduction as it helps readers orient themselves, and find the content relevant to their interests. The “Contents” page just breaks these down by the name of the carpet, their period, without explaining this broader grouping.
“Chapter One: Chieftain” describes a “knotted-pile carpet” from the 3-4th century BCE in Siberia. Some negative things begin to be apparent here, as the chapter begins with a description of animal-herding without a clear explanation why this is relevant to carpets. A couple of pages in, there’s the first note about a “rug with ancient religious systems” with “dots” that are “dating back to the Neolithic” that “may represent the sun”. It is frustrating when historians assume circles stand for the sun or religion because I am sure that ancient people were mostly atheists, and only religious colonists convinced the world they were worshipping strange gods to turn them into “others”. Then there’s talk about this “old carpet” having faded colors. If it’s thousands of years old, it would be very strange if it was not faded. Then the author keeps returning to how she is feeling about this carpet and its “strange and archaic” look. Only in the next section are some details offered about this place being high above sea-level in Siberia, but then there are new digressions about it being “remote”.
This is not a good book. It is conversational, and too fluffy for a history. The blurb makes a lot of promises and got me pretty excited about what this book could have been, but it’s just not what actually appears in these pages. This is not a recommended read.
Pennsylvania Literary Journal: Spring 2025 issue: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-spring-2025