Richardson, Tim 1968-

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Richardson, Tim 1968-

PERSONAL:

Born 1968.

CAREER:

Writer.

WRITINGS:

Sweets: A History of Temptation, Bloomsbury (New York, NY), 2002.

(Editor) The Vanguard Landscapes and Gardens of Martha Schwartz, Thames & Hudson (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Noel Kingsbury) Vista: The Culture and Politics of Gardens, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2005.

English Gardens of the Twentieth Century: From the Archives of "Country Life," Aurum Press (London, England), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

In Sweets: A History of Temptation, self-styled "international confectionery historian" Tim Richardson "thoroughly examines candy history, tracing its journey from East to West," observed a critic in Publishers Weekly. In the work, Richardson chronicles the origins of many types of candies, such as marzipan and chewing gum, and looks at the evolution of the modern candy industry. The author, whose grandfather worked for a toffee company, researched his book by sampling numerous treats and touring confectionery plants and factories around the globe, including Hershey's Chocolate World in Pennsylvania and the Haribo plant in England, which manufactures gummy bears. "The writing in general is light and tongue-in-cheek, scattered with some truly dreadful puns, though clearly well-researched and factually accurate," noted Stephanie Perry on the Steph's Book Reviews Web site. Perry added that the author "retains an admirably well-adjusted view of the cosmic importance of his scholarly focus, and steers clear of academic pomposity. If anything, the writing is perhaps a little too jolly or chummy, but then, we are talking about a history of candy here—it's hard to take any of this too seriously, which seems to be exactly Richardson's point." According to Tom Jaine, reviewing Sweets on the Guardian Unlimited Web site. "Richardson has pulled countless plums out of this lucky dip of a subject." Jaine concluded, "His enthusiasm is boundless, his love of sugar knows no limit."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2002, Mark Knoblauch, review of Sweets: A History of Temptation, p. 633.

Library Journal, November 1, 2002, John Charles, review of Sweets, p. 123; September 1, 2004, Valerie Nye, review of The Vanguard Landscapes and Gardens of Martha Schwartz, p. 147; November 1, 2005, Phillip Oliver, review of English Gardens in the Twentieth Century: From the Archives of "Country Life," p. 105.

Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2002, Merle Rubin, review of Sweets, p. E11.

New York Times Book Review, December 8, 2002, Jane and Michael Stern, review of Sweets, p. 6.

People, November 25, 2002, Lan N. Nguyen, review of Sweets, p. 47.

Publishers Weekly, October 14, 2002, review of Sweets, p. 77.