The truth, as revealed in Karl Schlögel’s gripping olfactory history of the 20th century, is that both perfumes have roots in Tsarist Russia, in particular in a fragrance developed by two French perfumers, Ernest Beaux and Auguste Michel, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 1913. Le Bouquet Préféré de l’Impératrice (The Empress’s Favourite Bouquet) was ill fated, appearing only four years before the Bolshevik revolution put an end to the Romanovs and everything they stood for, but it inspired the creation of both Chanel No 5 and Red Moscow.

— Read more in The Scent of Empires by Karl Schlögel review – politics, power and perfume at The Guardian.

Hey Santa, looking for something to tuck into the sleigh for perfume lovers? Check out The Handbook of Great Italian Perfumery: Fifty years of exceptional scents by Marika Vecchiattini.

The Handbook of Great Italian Perfumery is a combination encyclopedia and compendium of reviews featuring fragrances from Italian perfume houses and fashion brands from the 1970s to the present. It’s both an engrossing read and a handy reference manual…

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The book is infused with enthusiasm, (including more than 200 exclamation marks), and full of calls to go out and explore. Find the smells! That might mean taking an olfactory-guided stroll through the osmocosm of a local park or plunging a nose deeply and attentively into the spice cabinet. It could just mean stopping to examine the scent of a pet or loved one. While “Nose Dive” can certainly be read straight through, McGee’s approach invites readers to jump ahead to the parts that intrigue them and to turn around later when they want to dive into the specifics of a particular molecule or scent bouquet.

— From a review of Harold McGee's new book, Nose Dive. (McGee is best known for his food science and cooking books.) Read more in Book Review: Sniffing Out the Vast World of Smell at UnDark.