--- product_id: 5910307 title: "A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire" price: "21527CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/5910307-a-perfect-red-empire-espionage-and-the-quest-for-color store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire **Price:** 21527CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire - **How much does it cost?** 21527CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/5910307-a-perfect-red-empire-espionage-and-the-quest-for-color) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description “You’ll finish [Greenfield’s] book with new respect for color, especially for red. With A Perfect Red , she does for it what Mark Kurlansky in Salt did for that common commodity.”— Houston Chronicle Interweaving mystery, empire, and adventure, Amy Butler Greenfield’s masterful popular history offers a window onto a world far different from our own: a world in which the color red was rare and precious—a source of wealth and power for those who could unlock its secrets. And in this world nothing was more prized than cochineal, a red dye that produced the brightest, strongest red the Old World had ever seen. A Perfect Red recounts the story of this legendary red dye, from its cultivation by the ancient Mexicans and discovery by 16th-century Spanish conquistadors to the European pirates, explorers, alchemists, scientists, and spies who joined in the chase to unlock its secrets, a chase that lasted more than three centuries. It evokes with style and verve this history of a grand obsession, of intrigue, empire, and adventure in pursuit of the most desirable color on earth. Review: Delightful cultural history - “A Perfect Red” by Amy Butler Greenfield is an interesting and well-written history of the color red and, especially, of cochineal. Cochineal is tiny insect found, initially, living on cactus in southern Mexico, When collected, crushed, and processed it yields a bright red dye. Historically, painters and cloth dyers had not found an affordable, durable, bright red dye. After the discovery of cochineal by European conquistadores in the 1700s, it became internationally popular and big business. Difficult to produce, it became important for Mexico, Guatemala, Spain, and the Canary Islands. After many years, it was displaced by synthetic chemical red dyes. The book also relates changing tastes in clothing colors over the years in different cultures. Review: Excellent History of the Cochineal Trade - This book was required reading for a class about the history of fashion, and I must say that it was one of the most informative and entertaining books of the semester! I was pleasantly surprised by both the depth of research which Butler conducted in order to write the book and by her fluid and effortless style. Even though it is not a particularly brief work, it only took two days to read, and due to its engaging nature those days few by. As mentioned in another review, it is refreshing to see such extensive notes and such a detailed bibliography in a book of this nature, as most popular history books have sacrificed sources for academics in order to placate stingy publishers, but writing papers from this source was effortless. I must also compliment the illustrations in the center, which are printed brilliantly and on good quality paper - I only wish that there were more! This book is a worthwhile investment and a great addition to the libraries of individuals interested in the history of color and Early Modern Europe. My only grievance is that I wished that Butler had dealt more with the history of red in other periods, and not just with the cochineal trade. Know that this is primarily a history of cochineal (a pigment which produces a particularly potent red dye), and not of the color red in general. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #163,010 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #176 in Graphic Design Color Use #232 in Arts & Photography Criticism #297 in Art History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 315 Reviews | ## Images ![A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/716ll6cOxtL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Delightful cultural history *by A***E on June 28, 2024* “A Perfect Red” by Amy Butler Greenfield is an interesting and well-written history of the color red and, especially, of cochineal. Cochineal is tiny insect found, initially, living on cactus in southern Mexico, When collected, crushed, and processed it yields a bright red dye. Historically, painters and cloth dyers had not found an affordable, durable, bright red dye. After the discovery of cochineal by European conquistadores in the 1700s, it became internationally popular and big business. Difficult to produce, it became important for Mexico, Guatemala, Spain, and the Canary Islands. After many years, it was displaced by synthetic chemical red dyes. The book also relates changing tastes in clothing colors over the years in different cultures. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent History of the Cochineal Trade *by M***E on August 24, 2011* This book was required reading for a class about the history of fashion, and I must say that it was one of the most informative and entertaining books of the semester! I was pleasantly surprised by both the depth of research which Butler conducted in order to write the book and by her fluid and effortless style. Even though it is not a particularly brief work, it only took two days to read, and due to its engaging nature those days few by. As mentioned in another review, it is refreshing to see such extensive notes and such a detailed bibliography in a book of this nature, as most popular history books have sacrificed sources for academics in order to placate stingy publishers, but writing papers from this source was effortless. I must also compliment the illustrations in the center, which are printed brilliantly and on good quality paper - I only wish that there were more! This book is a worthwhile investment and a great addition to the libraries of individuals interested in the history of color and Early Modern Europe. My only grievance is that I wished that Butler had dealt more with the history of red in other periods, and not just with the cochineal trade. Know that this is primarily a history of cochineal (a pigment which produces a particularly potent red dye), and not of the color red in general. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ really good non-fiction packed with historical info *by K***R on November 6, 2020* interesting, lots of relevant info by extension (historical events that caused the cochineal market to go up and down over the centuries), fortunes won and lost. the history of a fabric dye should not be this interesting. I guess you just chalk it up to the skill and research of this author. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/5910307-a-perfect-red-empire-espionage-and-the-quest-for-color](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/5910307-a-perfect-red-empire-espionage-and-the-quest-for-color) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-06-01*