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The White Road book cover
Beautifully Narrated Classic

The White Road

by Edmund de Waal

Audiobook Narrated by Michael Maloney 11 hrs and 53 mins

Listen to a Sample

Free with Audible trial · Amazon buyer protection

Edmund de Waal embarks on a captivating journey through history, tracing humanity's ancient obsession with porcelain. From the mountains of China where the precious white clay was first discovered, through Renaissance Venice and the courtly workshops of Dresden, to the Wedgwood factories of England, he follows the story of this luminous material that captivated emperors and artists alike.

Part memoir, part cultural history, this exploration weaves together art, craft, and personal reflection. De Waal, himself a renowned ceramicist, brings an intimate understanding of his subject, revealing how the quest for "white gold" shaped trade routes, sparked scientific innovation, and inspired both breathtaking beauty and colonial exploitation. It's a meditation on fragility, value, and our enduring desire to create objects of transcendent whiteness.