Spring’s Must-Read Book: American Legends by Michael Edwards

Spring’s Must-Read Book: American Legends by Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards is considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on fragrance. Through-out his 40-year career in perfumery, he and his team have classified and matched over 50,000 fragrances, family-by-family, scent-by-scent. He was the first to classify fragrances into olfactory families making it easier for consumers to understand and enjoy scents. His olfactory wheel and system of perfumery has been used by thousands and thousands of fragrance associates around the world as key training and education.

Luca Turin, the renowned critic, called his work “the perfumery equivalent of Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae (1735). It is both a book of history and a piece of history in itself. But it is also a map, the only one in existence, which lets everyone, beginner or pro, set out into the mysterious world of perfume.”

The history of modern fragrance fascinates Michael. He is the author of Perfume Legends II, the seminal book that traces the evolution of French fragrances. For the first time, perfumers spoke openly about their work and the sources of their inspiration, something unheard of before this remarkable book.  “There is no other book like it,” wrote the celebrated perfumer Edmond Roudnitska (Eau Sauvage).

So it is no surprise that the fragrance industry is excited to learn of a new book by Edwards, this one chronicling the evolution of fragrance in America. Entitled American Legends, this fascinating book traces the evolution of American fragrances from 1752 until today. It’s so impressive that Leonard A. Lauder himself, agree to write a forward. It was officially launched at the World Perfumery Congress.

Readers will get a true insider access thanks to exclusive interviews with many of the perfumers who formulated iconic American fragrances. We can’t overstate how special this is – perfumers rarely share their experiences and inspirations. You’ll read about Elizabeth Arden’s Blue Grass (1934) to Le Labo’s Santal 33 (2011), a total of 40 important American perfumes.

The book is now available for purchase on fragrancesoftheworld.com and yes, they do ship to Canada.

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