The Secret of Chanel No. 5

"[Mazzeo] explores interconnections between designer and perfume, teasing out the relationship with delicacy." -- New York Times Book Review

"[In] the skilled hands of cultural historian Mazzeo, [the perfume] becomes a magnificent window through which to understand [Coco Chanel] and her milieu... Impeccable research and crafting make a seemingly narrow topic feel infinitely important." -- Kirkus Reviews

"This is one case where historical fact eclipses the legend and lore of the object itself--there's much, much more than meets the nose to discover in these pages." -- Booklist

"Engaging." -- Wall Street Journal

"Mazzeo's lush prose...never bogs down in the details--despite the extensive research showcased in the bibliography--and a smooth pacing keeps it moving along at a fast clip. This work is definitely recommended to lovers of 20th-century cultural history, Coco Chanel, and, of course, the world's best-selling perfume." -- Library Journal

"Mazzeo has written an account of the rarest of things-an international olfactory icon-that fairly rushes off the pages. 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

"Told in a light and graceful style that is just right for its subject.... [I]t's a fascinating trip, made even more so by Ms. Mazzeo's charming cameo appearances as a kind of tour guide.... This example of Barbe-Nicole's voice is exceptional...an intoxicating business biography." -- Julia Flynn Siler, Wall Street Journal

"The true brilliance of The Secret of Chanel No. 5 is Tilar Mazzeo's ability to take a subject one would never have thought possible to think very deeply about and then cover it so captivatingly. Who knew that such a tiny bottle housed so many secrets?" -- Michael Tonello, author of Bringing Home the Birkin

"Anyone who's ever dawdled in front of a perfume counter will love Tilar Mazzeo's fascinating history of the perfume known simply as No. 5; her rich and witty account is as compelling as the fragrance itself. " -- Karen Karbo, author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel

"The Widow Clicquot, Tilar J. Mazzeo's sweeping oenobiography of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, is the story of a woman who was a smashing success long before anyone conceptualized the glass ceiling." -- New York Times Book Review

"Tilar J. Mazzeo's informed and enlightening biography of Madame Clicquot, the widow and, more important, the businesswoman, retrieves her vintage story as if looking for a rare bottle in one of the Champagne region's deepest caves." -- Newsday

"A miraculous feat of organization, one worthy of a doctoral thesis.... [I]n its moments of action, this is actually a gripping story. And while the book appears to be a feminist history/business biography, it's also the appealing story of the author's odyssey." -- Austin Chronicle

"If you like champagne, "The Widow Clicquot" by Tilar J. Mazzeo is definitely worth a drink." -- Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

"An enticing stew of biography and history." -- USA Today