Baudelaire's most famous collection of poems is The Flowers of Evil, which was published in 1857 and which was widely condemned as being unwholesome and decadent. The publication actually led to Baudelaire being prosecuted on a charge of offending public morals.

There have been numerous translations of Baudelaire's work into English, but many of them have been judged as not being particularly successful. Sturm's version of The Flowers of Evil is unusual and notable for its accuracy in capturing the elusive appeal of the originals.

This recording also includes a critical study of the poet by Sturm.