"A delicious book, seductive as a tray of bonbons, a Fancy Box in every way." -- Washington Post

"This tale of capitalist rivalry mixed with Quaker values makes for a very sweet journey." -- Booklist

"A fine pocket history of corporate confectionery." -- Kirkus Reviews

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.