Ludwig Bemelmans-legendary bon vivant and raconteur, and author of the Madeline series as well as the surprise success of 2004, Hotel Bemelmans-lived life like a character in a novel. Wherever Ludwig went and whatever he did-letting Parisian criminals baby-sit his daughter, getting caught with his toenails painted red by the Gestapo, or discovering the only restaurant with toilets in the Amazon jungle-his escapades are guaranteed entertainment. As Anthony Bourdain says of this new collection, "Whether writing about the backstairs misadventures of cooks and waiters or travel to faraway lands, Bemelmans is always funny, insightful and dead on target. No one has ever surpassed the master." When You Lunch with the Emperor collects Bemelmans's work under the headings of Childhood, Work, and Play. Readers will enjoy their lunch with the Bemelmans!