The Wig: A Hairbrained History

Whether in a court room or a dressing room, wigs come in many forms, and represent many things: from power, to sexuality, to parody, to health, to self-identity, to disguise. Wigs are present at parties and in chemotherapy rooms, in pop music and contemporary art. In this witty and eloquent book, Luigi Amara reflects on the curious history of the wig, and along the way takes a sideways look at Western civilization.
Amara illuminates how the wig has starred throughout history, from ancient Egypt to the court of Louis XIV, and from British courtrooms to drag shows today. Containing many striking and unusual images, the book appeals to a wide audience, from those interested in the history of fashion to philosophy, art, culture and aesthetics.

"A clever and illuminating take on the world of wigs. A book every hairdresser should have in their collection." --Isaac Davidson, hairstylist, wig designer, founder of Wigbar

"In this smart and humorous account of the history of the wig, Amara proves he's not afraid of frivolity, using it to dig deep into the history of our ideas and costumes." --Juan Pablo Villalobos, author of I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me and Down the Rabbit Hole

"With the precision of a Renaissance collector, Amara has written a book as wonderful and impressive as the old cabinets of curiosities. From Andy Warhol to Andre Agassi, the collection exposed in The Wig makes us smile and laugh with amazement, while we reflect on how shaky identity is." --Carlos Fonseca, Trinity College, Cambridge, author of Natural History

Luigi Amara is the author of many poetry collections, essays and childrens books, including Nu)n(ca (winner of the International Poetry Prize in Spanish), and The School of Boredom.