The Secret of Chanel No. 5

The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume

By: Tilar J. Mazzeo

Narrated by: Liz de Nesnera

“Who knew that such a tiny bottle housed so many secrets?” —Michael Tonello, author of Bringing Home the Birkin

Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of the New York Times bestseller The Widow Clicquot (an Amazon Best of the Month book in October 2008) returns with a captivating history of the world’s most famous, seductive, and popular perfume: Chanel No. 5. Mazzeo’s sweeping story of the iconic scent (known as “le monstre” in the fragrance industry) stretches from Coco Chanel’s early success to the rise of the seminal fragrance during the 1950s to the confirmation of its bestseller status in today’s crowded perfume market.

“Here is the life of one of the 20th century’s most interesting and deeply complicated women, a fascinating cultural history, and the story of an extraordinary perfume.” —Chandler Burr, New York Times scent critic and author of The Perfect Scent

Amazing read - passionate storytelling

Great history that touched on world events bigger than fashion. Complicated story during one of the most complicated times in world history

Interesting, not life changing

Kept my attention and got me curious enough about chanel no 5 to track down a sniff of it.
No regrets listening - a good break from some heavy listens.

Fascinating behind the scenes story of an icon

I liked the story and was intrigued by how much impact one "little perfume" had. I found myself curious to know more about the Chanel firm - beyond Number 5 that is. Does a very good story of placing the story against cultural and historical background. I was not too keen on the narrator. Somewhat annoying voice, and her pronunciation of Coco sounded like Cuckoo, which got a bit wearing. I think she should stick to regular pronunciation for that word, and some of the other "foreign" words.

All in all a great book, and recommended for anyone wanting to know more about Chanel and the incredible importance of this product to the company.

Chanel No5

I didnt know how subconsciously I repeated Chanel No5 after each time Ms. Mazzeo said it, until my friend caught me on it.

Captivating and personal.

Very well narrated and exactly the right length.

I would recommend it to anyone that is interested about perfuming but also for people that are curious about product creation process, marketing and fashion.