"Bloomsbury presents Carême, written and read by Ian Kelly.
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From historian and screenwriter, Ian Kelly, comes the legendary story of Carême, the original celebrity chef.
Recounting the fairy-tale-like rise of Antonin Carême from Parisian orphan to a household name synonymous with culinary luxury, Carême offers a unique conflation of historical biography, social history and cookery guide. Kelly lifts the veil on one of the most momentous and sensuous periods in European history: First Empire Paris, Georgian England and the tsarist Russia of War and Peace, depicting Carême’s entanglements with the social and political elite of his age, from King George IV to Napoleon, the Romanovs to the Rothschilds.
Alongside this story of Carême, the trail-blazing celebrity chef, culinary artist and revolutionary food writer, Ian Kelly brings to life the recipes themselves.
As Carême wrote, ‘You should try this yourself, at home’. C 2003 Ian Kelly P 2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC"
"Benedict Cumberbatch reads Ian Kelly’s biography of one of the most beguiling and controversial individuals of any age.
In this fascinating biography of the notorious libertine, Ian Kelly draws on documents by Casanova, his friends and his lovers (male and female) in order to bring fresh insights to the man’s life and world. The sights and smells of Eighteenth Century Europe are brought keenly to life, as are the colourful incidents of Casanova’s life. As the young cleric he embarked upon a scandalous affair with a married woman, fleeing eventually to Constantinople. He created a stir at the French court of King Louis XV, began intrigues in London that led him to a soaking in the Thames, and sought to meet Catherine the Great at a ball in St Petersburg. His own memoirs ensured his lasting fame, and changed the way we think and write about ourselves and about sex.
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock; The Imitation Game; Star Trek Into Darkness) is the reader of this abridged edition, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra."
"Vivienne Westwood is one of the icons of our age. Fashion designer, activist, co-creator of punk, global brand and grandmother; a true legend. Her career successfully spanned five decades and her work has influenced millions of people across the world.
For the first and only time, Vivienne Westwood has written a personal memoir, collaborating with award-winning biographer Ian Kelly, to describe the events, people and ideas that shaped her extraordinary life.
Told in all its glamour and glory, and with her unique voice, unexpected perspective and passionate honesty, this is her story."
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