Very rich, very interesting. I love books like these that give you a sideways view of history through some particular kind of object. I kept coming across comments that linked up what I was reading to something I already knew - like, the Mughal Empire fell (and its rugs disappeared) because the Portuguese found a route around Africa to India and China for spices and other trade - which I'd read about in The Taste of Conquest, about the spice trade. I know a bit about carpets, so this was even more interesting as my casual knowledge got expanded (on carpets, and archaeology, and cultural overlap, and trade routes, and...). I was reading an ARC, so no pictures and no linked-up endnotes (the notes are there, mostly, the links aren't). I will be getting this book when it's published in full, I want to see the images - the rugs are carefully described but it's not the same. And besides the content, the style was excellent - a nice mix of research and personal experience, without falling into either the pit of dusty facts or that of irrelevant stories. Hope she writes more, I'll read them.

In the Threads of Empire by Dorothy Armstrong, we are treated to a wide range of historical information from the intricacies of trade routes and the structure of local populations to world politics and the psychology of acquisition. The origin of Persian and similar luxury rugs is much more complex and harder to solve than I would have ever imagined. Although I would have preferred more information about the techniques and process of spinning and weaving, I really appreciated learning more about what kinds of people (the poor, enslaved people, women and children) were often, and continue to be, the producers of such sought after products. Fascinating, too, was the role that the development of Lutheranism played, and the power of influence that an everyday, functional object can have. The quirky characters involved in buying, selling, validating authenticity, and showcasing these rugs make this worth a read.

In other hands, this could have been a very boring history of a somewhat niche product, but Armstrong has such a passion for these rugs, how they came to be, and the way that individuals and groups view them. The research is in depth and really offers an engaging and inclusive view of points in history and their long reaching threads over time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the eARC.

This book is very informative and interesting! I thought it was just going to be about carpets, but it's so much more! It includes the back history of many civilizations; some of which I'd never heard of. I found it all to be utterly fantastic! I'll never underestimate carpets or their makers again!

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Threads of Empire is fascinating! I've always loved fiber arts and this changed how I view carpet. Carpet means luxury and the history of its creation is wonderful. Thank you for the education.

As an aficionado of 'A History of X in Y Z's' - A History of Venezuela in 5 Candelabras, A History of Finance in 9 Libraries; A History of Distilling in 12 Steps - this book stands out.

First, it puts as much emphasis on the artifact as the process. It is about who made the carpets and how. This looks at people ignored in Horses and Trumpets history, but also includes them when relevant. Mostly, it cuts through lies and marketing. One of the features of Orientalism remains that what was hated was also what was desired, and so the contortions around understanding the meaning and provenance of different carpets was (and is) a significant effort, even if innocent.

Second, it is not a global history as much as an imperial history. This is what I suspect will draw the most flak to the book. It is not 'the world' as it is strictly Eurasian in scope. But it is always Eurasian, reaching Japan at one point, as the carpet is the product of a small group of cultures amidst East and West that acquired its cache through export to East and West, but also between East and West. You could take the carpet out of this history. It would be weird, but it would still be a great survey on empires. But with a focus on this one trade good, we get concrete examples of the complexity of empire, as different powers trade, plunder, and destroy carpets. And complexity is the key there. No empire stands alone, and they are always in contact and conversation. All uses of imperial power are abuses, but some are more benign than others. Thus, someone is going to be upset about "world" not being global and about textiles elsewhere, and someone is going to be upset about a contemporary take on imperialism that challenges its charm and its color. Whatever. If you are like me, this is how you wish it was taught. Presumably you can hit up the bibliography if you want something different.

Third, it is never linear. There is some chronology, but the story here of each of the objects requires linear study. Each chapter throws us back to the beginning, learning about something new or a facet that was mentioned previously but not explored. This is where the material history is allowed to shine. Each chapter has the feeling of a favorite short story where you find more things in it each reading. There is only one chapter where this fails, and that has to do with the narrative being too much of its own story to fit within the confines of the frame. The point is not a singular line of history but several that work through comparison, with different facts and themes reinforcing the other chapters.

Fourth, the carpet itself is a compelling thing to focus on. It is the perfect sort of item for a material history in its odd status as a bifurcated object. Even unto today it exists as something of both high art and of low culture, its function and beauty linked in a manner that I cannot say about a lot of other goods. So we have a sort of intuitive grasp of them as a thing, which the author only goes to emphasize in providing that initial sense of context of each of the carpets. (In other words, I too would be devastated to learn it was not a dowry.)

Overall, a stellar read. Other than being extremely informative. It clarifies lots of errant wrongness in conventional wisdom without being iconoclastic or confrontational. It presents history as a consistent interaction of cultures. And it is specialized enough of a field that the scholars and others involved feel more like characters in fiction, since the same ones reappear and we get to see them develop in different ways. And all of this without any slack in the value as scholarship.

My thanks to the author, Dorothy Armstrong, for writing the book, and to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for making the ARC available to me.

Please sit down and read this book about carpets - something I never, ever thought I would say!

But you know what? Turns out carpets are absolutely fascinating!

The author's enthusiasm for their subject is definitely infectious and, before I knew it, I was reading tidbits of the book aloud to anyone in range. (Most appreciated the knowledge.)

The stories the author brings us are fascinating and enlightening - so much about history, culture, and the place of women, people of color, and the poor are entwined in the subject.

You'll never look at a rug the same away again.

An absolutely riveting (and surprising) read!

This was an intriguing read if not quite the type of nonfiction for me. At most it created a curiosity in me to read more about the actual fiber work tecnquies

Guess I'll have to nag my local library to get a print copy because the e-Galley only has the extensive text and research credits but NONE of the photographs! This is a meticulously researched and documented study of the creation and use of carpet textiles through the centuries while remaining readable rather that pedantic. I learned much but had really hoped for the photos which were referenced time and time again. Excellent reference volume!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
Pub Date Jun 17, 2025
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Perhaps the subtitle set my expectations inappropriately high. I was truly hoping for threads of the storyline to tie to vital moments in history, as the Yalta rug did. I did enjoy the details about trade (middle eastern rug ending up as part of Japanese armor), but was left wishing for more details on manufacturing fibers and processes. Alas, we will likely never know. A tour to look at the rugs in person would be awesome!

What an absolutely fascinating read! Author Dorothy Armstrong leads us through the histories of 12 carpets in a deeply well written and researched way. Carpets seemingly can be such mundane things but Armstrong brings to life the connections made by people creating and desiring them. I randomly requested this and I'm so glad I did. I will absolutely be buying a finished copy and looking more into Dorothy Armstrong's work!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I thought i would enjoy a story or two but the whole book was very entertaining and informative. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

"Threads of Empire" is a fascinating look at 12 carpets which the author, Dorothy Armstrong, uses as a starting point for an exploration of culture, commerce and trade, creation of national ideology and myth, and colonization, among other themes. The research brings each carpet to life with details on how they were made and what we know (or can guess) about the people who made them. The book moves from the 5th century BCE into the 21st century, and Armstrong is excellent at noting the throughlines that tie the carpets together. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

4 out of 5 stars

Carpets seem like an unusual medium with which to explore the past, but Dorothy Armstrong expertly weaves time and place together in her thoughtful and well-written book Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets.

Armstrong examines twelve carpets spanning from the third or fourth century BCE to the modern day, and across the world including locations in Siberia, Syria, Egypt, Anatolia, Iran, Japan, India, Romania, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. This scope provides insight into the larger political aspects of these societies and a look into the (mostly) women who weaved the carpets. Although the weavers are discussed in this book, Armstrong does mention how little is known about the weavers themselves. Due to social and political reasons and the lack of sources on the matter, the daily lives of the weavers largely remain a mystery. Each carpet gives a small glimpse into the society that crafted it, the society that bought it, and the society that displayed the carpets.

The strongest part of this book does not lie in the examination of the carpets themselves, but rather in the connections Armstrong makes between when and where the carpets came from and how that impacted where they ended up. The people who bought and sold the carpets and where they chose to display them present a fascinating look into history.

Even though Armstrong presents an interesting and concise history, the language used to describe the carpets and the methods of creating them proves difficult to follow at times. For someone not familiar with the process of making or studying carpets, these parts of the book will be lost on them and it is easier to gloss over these sections than to decipher the process.

Overall, this book gives a fascinating exploration of objects that connected people around the world throughout history. Carpets are highly common all over the world and most people never think twice about them. Armstrong brings new insight into this household item and provides a window for others to explore this as both art and history.

This book is an eye-opener, offering a fresh perspective on historical moments often overlooked. The way these carpets traveled through time, shifting meaning and importance, is both educational and thought-provoking. For anyone who is fascinated by the intersection of art, culture, and history, Threads of Empire is a must-read.