THE MAN WHO ATE TOO MUCH The Life of James Beard

Performed with grace and care, Daniel Henning's outstanding narration of this fine biography reveals, warts and all, the larger-than-life James Beard. The renowned chef--who was six foot three and 300 pounds-- is considered the dean of American cookery. Henning narrates with intelligence at a good pace, and he gives the elegant prose its due. This is an audiobook filled with luscious descriptions of places, meals, and people. The author deftly handles the essential truth of Beard's life: He rose to fame as a closeted gay man in homophobic postwar America. Beard became the nation's most important food personality while shielding his sexuality. The final line of this excellent audiobook says it all: "There was so much that nobody knew." A.D.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2021]