Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances [Hardcover]

Michael Edwards (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A selection of reviews

'Magnificent. The world's leading writer on the subject.' The Observer, London

'It is the first time that a book about perfume speaks about the perfumer.' Francis Fabron, Perfumer (L'Air du Temps, Fracas, etc.)

'This is a fascinating book for anyone with even a passing interest in perfume. Charting all the great scents since the launch of Guerlain's Jicky in 1889 to Mugler's Angel in 1992, this tells the story of some of the world's most famous fragrances. Edwards's passion for the subject makes this more a great read than just a reference book. Information value: Outstanding. Everyone will find the story of the creation, name and design of one of their favourite scents, including Chanel No 5, Tabu, Joy, Nuit de Nol and Opium.' Newby Hands, Harpers & Queen

'There is no other book like it.' Edmond Roudnitska, Perfumer (Femme, Eau Sauvage, etc.)

'Ex-cep-tion-nel! Sign Michael Edwards, cet album Parfums de Lgende est une petite oeuvre d'art que tous les amoureux du parfum se doivent de possder. Voil en effet, un livre extraordinaire. Pour la premire fois, les parfumeurs, les couturiers, les crateurs de flacons et les dirigeants des grandes maisons de parfums parlent de leur art comme ils ne l'ont jamais fait. Un voyage fascinant dans l'univers des parfums au travers de leur histoire, du savoir-faire franais, illustr par une iconographie superbe et rare, des photographies, des croquis, des dessins et des documents d'archives. Pour le prix d'une eau de toilette, Parfums de Lgende est un livre-rvlation consulter - presque - comme un incunable.' Paris Match

'Essential reading' Vogue

'The typography and the pictures, both of the men and women behind the featured fragrances, and of the distinctive packaging designed for each scent are sumptuous, and the text is a fascinating blend of social history and information about the aromatic 'notes' that make-up each perfume. This is a fabulous, glamorous coffee table book that is given substance by the vast amount of research that has gone into it.' The Good Book Guide

Product Details

• Hardcover: 295 pages
• Publisher: Crescent House Pub (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0646277944
• ISBN-13: 978-0646277943
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,137,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly comprehensive treatment of a fascinating subject, April 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances (Hardcover)

At first glance, Perfume Legends is a beautifully illustrated coffee table book packed with fascinating stories about the creation and evolution of some of the greatest fragrances of the century. Dig deeper and you discover it's a valuable reference tool for anybody involved in the fashion or beauty business. Perfume is an art form, it captures the spirit of the times, and it's an eye-opening exercise to trace the evolution of fragrance through the history of the 20th century. It's also intriguing to read about the scientific breakthroughs that gave rise to new perfume notes, which greatly expanded the perfumers' repertoire. Michael Edwards obviously knows his subject intimately and he manages to share his knowledge in a readable way. He has clearly spent years researching the true stories behind the myths. The clever combination of scholarship, anecdote and brilliant pictorial material (some of it never published before) makes this book a must for anyone interested in the subject. Even people who just love fragrance will get a lot out of Perfume Legends. It's the only truly comprehensive reference on the subject of French female fragrance classics that I've been able to find. I heartily recommend it. It is ironic that Michael Edwards, who lives in Australia, was born in Africa and educated in England, seems to have beaten the French at their own game. They must be furious.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the best of the best perfumes, July 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances (Hardcover)

This extrordinary book covers the most impacting fragrances on both the public and the industry. From conception to development to launches, it gives a thorough history of these wonderscents.Each chapter is a spesific scent, covering the designer, the fragrance creators, the bottle development and all the dirty little secrets of how they got to the top. The book thoroughly covers 45 perfumes (I think he missed a few) including greats like Chanel #5, Shalimar,Anais Anais and Angel. Mr. Edwards also gives a composition rundown, But this is a little confusing if you are not familliar with his Fragrance Manual. Required reading for any fragrance nut.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very historic, September 27, 2007

By 

Tim Malachosky - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances (Hardcover)

When I purchased this book I had no idea of all the historic facts in it. I have learned so much about the houses and fragrances. I reccomend this book to anyone in the fragrance industory or anyone interested in the fragrance world. So much historic information in this volumne.