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Chocolate Wars
- From Cadbury to Kraft: 200 years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry
- Narrated by: Finty Williams
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
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Summary
The delicious true story of the early chocolate pioneers, by the award-winning writer and direct descendant of the famous chocolate dynasty, Deborah Cadbury.
In Chocolate Wars best-selling historian and award-winning documentary maker Deborah Cadbury takes a journey into her own family history to uncover the rivalries that have driven 250 years of chocolate empire-building. Beginning with an account of John Cadbury, who founded the first Cadbury's coffee and chocolate shop in Birmingham in 1824, Chocolate Wars goes on to chart the astonishing transformation of the company's fortunes under his grandson George. But while the Cadbury dynasty is the fulcrum of the narrative, this is also the story of their Quaker rivals, the Frys and Rowntrees, and their European competitors, the Nestles, Suchards and Lindts. These rivalries drove the formation of the huge chocolate conglomerates that still straddle the corporate world today, and have first call on our collective sweet tooth.
This is narrative history at its most absorbing, peopled by wonderfully colourful characters - the true story of the chocolate pioneers, the visions and ideals that inspired them and the mouth-watering concoctions they created.
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- Matthew
- 21-11-14
Choco delights
As a card carrying chocoholic I found this book to be a really enjoyable story of the Cadbury family and, to a lesser extent, the early Quaker dominance of chocolate manufacture in England. I almost felt it a patriotic duty to buy Cadbury's after listening.
There is a certain quality of Finty Williams' voice that makes her the perfect narrator for this book. Her voice by turns has the soft snap and the velvety smoothness of the finest chocolate. She reads like she's enjoying it too. Superb.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kieran
- 03-05-11
Know who supplies your food
At first I though this audio book would be more genealogy and family folk tales. I is to some extent, but as the book progresses, it becomes about politics and big business. By the end I was questioning my shopping habits and feel I have a better idea about the food I place in my shopping cart, not just chocolate. Probably the best book I've downloaded from Audible for some time.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Mike H
- 04-01-16
Principled capitalism with chocolate
So much more than the chocolate wars, this book is full of great ingredients for entrepreneurial inspiration, of trial and error and resilience and of course secret chocolate recipes . Lots here as well for business students on ethics, CSR , creating shared value and principled capitalism and all applied to what was a great family business.
Excellently narrated and with a tragic ending.
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2 people found this helpful
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- ArthurT
- 19-10-20
An excellent, if surprisingly interesting book!
I admit to having a small incline as to what the book would be about, but having listened to it it was far more enlightening and interesting. I suppose the most enlightening part was the Quaker influence in the chocolate industry in the UK, and their business practices influencing ethics for many others worldwide.
I'm not at all religious, but we could all learn a thing or two from the Quaker ideals.
the other thing that struck me was that there are exact parallels in struggles within society during the Victorian era as there are now, we seem to be going back in time, only to repeat the same mistakes.
A world of corporate dominance appears to hold nothing but hardship for many ordinary people.
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- BumbleKnees
- 03-03-11
this made me proud and then sad to be British
Coming from a family of past Cadbury workers I just had to download this book, It did not disapoint giving an insight into not just Cadburys but many other Great British companies from an erea when Britian was great right up to to present day when profit is king at the expense of all else. I enjoyed the narration finding Deborah's voice easy on the ear would be happy to reccomend
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2 people found this helpful
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- Helen
- 12-03-18
Rich as chocolate
Fascinating and intriguing story of business in a different era. The Cadbury founders are truly inspiring. Their legacy remains today in unexpected ways of business ethics and workplace laws. They book was beautifully read too.
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- Sean
- 11-03-18
Great book and well narrated
Interesting and heartfelt description of Cadbury’s history. The book looks at the history of the company, and (with more than a little sadness) charts the path to listing, the Cadbury Schweppes period, and ultimately Cadbury’s acquisition by Kraft.
Perfect for any business studies student. Well narrated too.
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- T. Fulford
- 28-12-10
Chocolate review
I purchased this book simply because I knew a little of the history. I have worked in three Quaker businesses and for Mars. I was aware of the links between them but this wonderful book has given me more insight into this great British business. Such a shame that it is no longer British owned. A really really good listen with beautiful detail and heart warming tales of how man should care for his fellows, of how businesses should care for their staff. Simply excellent.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Dumsey
- 17-03-17
Excellent
A very interesting and well researched book, giving the history not only of Cadbury's but of the whole history of chocolate
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- A P Harris
- 17-06-21
An astounding piece of history
A wonderfully written account of a remarkable family and time in our history. George Cadbury Snr should be held up, not just as model business man, but as an astounding human being.
Flinty Williams fabulous reading of this book enhances the depth and warmth of Deborah Cadbury's writing as she draws incredibly detailed accounts of the development of cocoa as a product and the businesses behind it. She portrays the Quaker Movement clearly without any romanticism siting its impacts and its failings.
Just like the Cadbury & Rowntree Foundations that remain today she and her book very much punch above their weight. A fantastic read.
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