The Handbook of Great Italian Perfumery: Fifty Years of Exceptional Scents

I admit it, I am a frag-head and I love this book.Fragrantica and Basenotes offer great for reading about modern perfumes but that's where it ends; on individual fragrance level. This book offers the evolution of an industry that is quite distinct from the French which often overshadow and take away from the achievements and importance of the Italian perfume industry. Here we get a historical flashback to the great Italian perfumes and the journey that this industry has gone through. When you read through the book, you realise that Italy and France's perfume industries took quite different paths.I'd say this is a must read for anyone interested in not only the history of perfumes but also about its evolution. Personally, I think you can also almost discern patterns for where the industry is moving to in the future.

This was a gift for my husband for our 8th wedding anniversary. Its a very good book. Has lots of great fragrances in it and lots of information.