Can anyone recommend a good book on Coco Chanel?

I'm always amazed by how long she lived and how many famous people she knew intimately and influenced during that time. She had an enormous influence on 20th-century French life.

Is there a particularly definitive biography of her, and (this may be the same question or a separate question) is there a good photo book of what she did and her work and life?

I don't know about a book - but her cereal is pretty good

Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History and Sleeping with the Enemy are both very good.

I can recommend a fairly lousy Broadway musical on her...

Bennett's and Beaton's finale for that show is pretty fabulous. I wish the video weren't so blurry. The finale of act 1 was all in black and supposed to have been just as fabulous. One of the shows I would most want to see if I could go back in time.

Black and red were supposed to have been Chanel's favorite colors.

I’m not sure if this expert has written a book (or if she’s even capable of reading one...) but she seems to have a deep knowledge of Chanel.