In her new book Chocolate War, Deborah Cadbury, a descendant of the Cadbury dynasty, chronicles her own family history to reveal the rivalries that have driven 200 years of chocolate empire-building.

Deborah gives readers an insider look, fleshing out the stories around her family with her familiar competence as a best-selling historian and award-winning documentary maker.

Chocolate War begins with an account of John Cadbury, who founded the first Cadbury's coffee and chocolate shop in Birmingham in 1824 and goes on to chart the astonishing transformation of the company's fortunes under his grandson George.

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 conglomorates that still straddle the corporate world today, and have first call on our collective sweet tooth.

Chocolate War presents narrative history at its most absorbing, peopled by colourful characters: the true story of the chocolate pioneers, the visions and ideals that inspired them and the mouth-watering concoctions they created.

Deborah Cadbury's new book is also a fascinating exploration of the relationship between business and religion. The early Quaker capitalists believed that wealth creation was for the benefit of workers, the local community and society at large which provides a fascinating contrast with business practices seen today.

THE AUTHOR

Deborah Cadbury is the highly acclaimed, bestselling author of several books, including The Dinosaur Hunters, The Lost King of France, and Seven Wonders of the Industrial World. She has also won numerous international awards as a television producer for the BBC, including an Emmy for Horizon. She currently resides in the United Kingdom.