Fragrance: The Story of Perfume from Cleopatra to Chanel (Paperback)

~ Edwin Morris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Enter the unexpected and intriguing realm of scent, where fragrances have the power to calm as well as to stimulate. These tales from the ancient quest for pleasing aromas offer a microcosm of history's larger movements, from the scented sails of Cleopatra's barges to modern-day fashion trends. This book is more than a historical overview of one of the world's oldest industries, although it's comprehensive, well-researched, and scrupulously accurate in its details. Neither is it just a book of pretty pictures, even though it's abundantly illustrated with lovely drawings and photographs that include every variety of perfume bottle, ads, paintings, as well as famous (and infamous) figures. Fragrance pursues its subject's very essence, with a rich panoply of insights that ranges from the botanical origins of fragrant oils and the role of aromatics in economic and religious life to the ways in which scents influence behavior and chemists extract, preserve, and reproduce fragrances. A fascinating stirring of the senses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (August 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486426726
• ISBN-13: 978-0486426723
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,450 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully informative, August 9, 2006

By	On Train "JC" (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fragrance: The Story of Perfume from Cleopatra to Chanel (Hardcover)

The information presented in this book is amazing in its scope and depth. Histories of anything usually leave me bored, but I was thoroughly impressed by the unusual yet thorough way Morris presented the information. It is not intended to be a how-to manual. The word history in the title should tell you that. If you just want to know how to make perfume, soap, candles, etc. and don't want to be knowledgeable about your product then this is not for you. Personally, I found it fascinating.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Focus is on fragrance history, April 9, 2003

By A Customer

I rented this book out from the library hoping to learn more about the steps taken to create a fragrance. Unfortunately, the information there is sparse compared to the amount of time the author spends on the history of fragrance. The chapter on essential oils is excellent and provides a nice introduction. The section on the business of fragrance is paltry. The author writes well and the information is straightforward.