The most up-to-date study of the world's most influential material and industry Outlines the history of cotton: a story of commercial and cultural enterprise, of ties and tensions between East and West, of technological and industrial revolution, social modernisation, colonialism and slavery Shows how cotton today is both the mark of a modern industrialised society, but also part of a vibrant craft tradition in many parts of the world Also available in hardback, 9781845202996, GBP55.00 (March 2011)

Beverly Lemire is Professor and Henry Marshall Tory Chair at the Department of History and Classics, and the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta.

Acknowledgements List of Maps and Illustrations 1. Introduction 2. Bound Up with Cotton: World Markets, Global Trade and Cotton History 3. Fashion's Favourite: The Social Politics of Cotton and the Democratisation of Style, c.1600-1820 4. Cottage, Mill, Factory, Plantation: the Industrialisation of Cotton and the New World Order, c.1400-1860 5. Crafting Comfort, Crafting Community: Cotton and the Rise of Quilt Culture in the West, c.1500-1940 6. Afterword: A World Refashioned Selected Bibliography Index