About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
The extraordinary and dramatic story of the chocolate pioneers -- as told by one of the descendants of the Cadbury dynasty -- ending with Kraft’s recent takeover of the empire.
With a cast of characters straight from a Victorian novel, Chocolate Wars tells the story of the great chocolatier dynasties -- the Lindts, Frys, Hersheys, Marses and Nestles -- through the prism of the Cadburys. Chocolate was consumed unrefined and unprocessed as a rather bitter, fatty drink for the wealthy elite until the late 19th century, when the Swiss discovered a way to blend it with milk and unleashed a product that would storm every market in the world.
Thereafter, one of the great global business rivalries unfolded as each chocolate maker attempted to dominate its domestic market and innovate recipes for chocolate that would set it apart from its rivals. The contest was full of dramatic contradictions: the Cadburys were austere Quakers who found themselves making millions from an indulgent product; Kitty Hershey could hardly have been more flamboyant, yet her husband was moved by the Cadburys’ tradition of philanthropy. Each company was a product of its unique time and place, yet all of them shared one thing: they want to make the best chocolate in the world.
Chocolate Wars divulges the visions and ideals that inspired these royal chocolate families and, above all, the mouth-watering chocolate concoctions they created that have driven a global transformation of one of our favourite treats. And with the recent purchase of Cadbury’s by mega–food manufacturer Kraft, the story is brought rapidly into the present.
Editorial Reviews
"Deborah Cadbury['s]...portrayal of [her ancestor's] 'principled capitalism' is quite convincing. Similarly worthy is her account of the evolution of cocoa, which first arrived in Europe in the 1500s as a thick, oily beverage."
— Macleans
"Cadbury, a former senior producer at the BBC, had access to the family and company archive and tells the chocolate maker's story, from its ethical capitalist beginnings in the 1820s to its controversial takeover by American company Kraft Foods earlier this year."
— The Bookseller
"This is a delicious book, seductive as a tray of bonbons, a Fancy Box in every way."
— Washington Post
"[Chocolate Wars] entertainingly captures the spirit of innovation -- and occasional lobbying and corporate espionage -- that pulled Cadbury from the brink of disasterÖThrough the 20th century, the British companies were challenged not just by European companies but American juggernauts like Hershey and Mars, and Cadbury has a knack for capturing the driven personalities who launched these empiresÖA fine pocket history of corporate confectionery."
— Kirkus Reviews
This tale of capitalist rivalry mixed with Quaker values makes for a very sweet journey.
— Booklist
A well-written and well-researched look at chocolate and the Quaker business tradition that any food or history buff will enjoy.
— Library Journal
"The story is provocative, a fine business history that puts morality beside profits. And, yes, it is -- I have to say this -- a delicious read."
— Financial Post
"Chocolate Wars charts the intense passion and intrigue behind the transformation of chocolate. This is an enthralling tale of the determined men behind the world's great chocolate companies, and their changing business values -- from benevolent Quaker capitalism, to modern hedge funds. You will never look at a chocolate bar the same way again."
— Jennifer McLagan
