In Brief: The Life of Richard Cadbury: Socialist, Philanthropist, and Chocolatier
Reviewed by Karie Firoozmand
June 1, 2021
By Diane Wordsworth. Pen and Sword History, 2020. 176 pages. $39.95/hardcover; $24.95/paperback (available in August); $19.99/eBook.
Richard Cadbury was one of the sons of the founder of the Cadbury chocolate company, John Cadbury. Together with his brother George, Richard Cadbury took over the company in 1861. The brothers were the capitalists who expanded the factory and reorganized operations. George also built Bournville, the company town that provided healthy housing, schools, and outdoor recreation areas to Cadbury employees and their families. It’s likely this aspect that gives the book its subtitle naming Cadbury as a socialist.
George Cadbury is the better known of the brothers, so this biography will appeal to those already familiar with or curious about the family and the chocolate business. (There is an index.) Contemporary products still bear the Cadbury name, although the company was acquired some years ago.
