In her history of red hair and red-headedness, Jacky Colliss Harvey begins by tracing the redhead gene in prehistory, as it made its way out of Africa with the early human diaspora to emerge under northern skies. She goes on to explore red hair in the ancient world, the prejudice manifested against it across medieval Europe, and red hair during the Renaissance, when it was seen as both an indicator of Jewishness and the height of fashion in Protestant England, thanks to Elizabeth I. She also examines depictions of red hair in art and literature, looks at modern medicine and the genetic decoding of red hair, and considers red hair in contemporary culture, from advertising to 'gingerism' and bullying.