Elizabeth David was born into a upper-class family and pursued a
rebellious and bohemian life as a student of art and then an
actress in Paris, before running off with a married man to Greece
and then settling in Cairo, where she worked for the British
government. After the Second World War, she returned to England,
where she was shocked by poor food into writing first articles,
then books on Meditteranean cooking. "A Book of Mediterranean Food"
was published in 1950, inspiring a cookery revolution, bringing new
flavours and ingredients to the drab, post-war British diet. Over
the next few years, David was to become a major influence on
British cooking, yet her classic cookery books show little of the
colourful personality behind the public persona. Artermis Cooper,
in this refreshing biography, reveals an adventurous and
uncompromising personality - a woman with a passion for food, life
and men. This is the whole story: of her strong friendships, her
failed marriage, tempestuous affairs and the greatest love of her
life, told with extensive refererence to David's private papers and
letters.
'In this wonderful and creative book, Cooper has brought David
to life... she not only writes like an angel, but has done her
research with great skill and obvious enjoyment.' Derek Cooper,
"Sunday Times"
""
'Engagingly well-written, thoroughly researched and documented.
One of the delights of Artemis Cooper's book is that it makes you
go back, time and again, to the source. And suddenly I will find
that I have whiled away the afternoon re-reading, for the sheer
pleasure of it, half of "Spices" or "An Omlette and a Glass of
Wine."' Frances Bissell, "The Times"
""
'Fluent, engaging and astonishingly readable.' Clarissa Dickson
Wright, "Mail on Sunday"
""
'Artemis Cooper is skilled and wise enough to handle the
contradictory sides of David's character without being either
censorious or sensational.' Arabella Boxer, "The Times Literary
Supplement"
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