Textile History and Technology

Prehistoric Textiles: The Development of Cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages with Special Reference to the Aegean  Elizabeth Wayland Barber is my hero.  She is the expert on textiles.  I put off buying this book for a long time because it was expensive, but it was worth it.  She examines all the evidence of textiles and textile technology for Europe, the Mediterranean and the Near East.  Even if you have no desire to weave on your own (and reading this book might change your mind) the knowledge on how fabric developed is mind-blowing.  She is great at explaining complex techniques so that non-specialists can get it.  Amazing.