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Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience
Letters of Note is a collection of one hundred and twenty five of the world's most entertaining, inspiring and unusual letters, based on the seismically popular website of the same name - an online museum of correspondence visited by over 70 million people.
From Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking suicide letter, to Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower; from the first recorded use of the expression 'OMG' in a letter to Winston Churchill, to Gandhi's appeal for calm to Hitler; and from Iggy Pop's beautiful letter of advice to a troubled young fan, to Leonardo da Vinci's remarkable job application letter, Letters of Note is a celebration of the power of written correspondence which captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up all of our lives.
Including letters from:
Queen Elizabeth II, Elvis Presley, Charles Schulz, Leonardo da Vinci, Iggy Pop, Fidel Castro, Anaïs Nin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Amelia Earhart, Charles Darwin, Roald Dahl, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Parker, John F. Kennedy, Groucho Marx, Charles Dickens, Katharine Hepburn, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Clementine Churchill, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut and many more.
From Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking suicide letter, to Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower; from the first recorded use of the expression 'OMG' in a letter to Winston Churchill, to Gandhi's appeal for calm to Hitler; and from Iggy Pop's beautiful letter of advice to a troubled young fan, to Leonardo da Vinci's remarkable job application letter, Letters of Note is a celebration of the power of written correspondence which captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up all of our lives.
Including letters from:
Queen Elizabeth II, Elvis Presley, Charles Schulz, Leonardo da Vinci, Iggy Pop, Fidel Castro, Anaïs Nin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Amelia Earhart, Charles Darwin, Roald Dahl, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Parker, John F. Kennedy, Groucho Marx, Charles Dickens, Katharine Hepburn, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Clementine Churchill, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut and many more.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2013
About the author
Shaun Usher
42 books296 followersShaun Usher was born in St. Albans in 1978 and currently lives in Wilmslow with his wife and two sons. He is the sole custodian of the popular blog, Letters of Note, a much-anticipated book of which is to be published in October 2013 following lengthy periods of hair-pulling and despair. His obsession with correspondence is particularly interesting given that he regularly receives--and more often than not doesn't reply to--abuse from exasperated friends and family due to his apparent inability to return their calls, emails, and, on very rare occasions, letters. His second book is underway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 753 reviews
July 13, 2020
Letters of Note is a collection of over a hundred correspondences across time. There isn't a unique theme to these letters and their arrangement is quite random.
The book's aesthetic is enhanced with scanned copies of the originals of the letters. The stories are quite remarkable, but I felt they are too random to be read in one sitting. The collection seemed to me to be something one would like to leaf through at will to read at leisure. It also might make a good addition to the coffee-table for others. Here are a few samples.
"In March 1973, acclaimed author E.B. White wrote the following perfectly formed reply to a Mr Nadeau, who sought White’s opinion on what he saw as a bleak future for the human race. "
"In 1934, a New York copywriter by the name of Robert Pirosh quit his well-paid job and headed for Hollywood, determined to begin the career of his dreams as a screenwriter. When he arrived, he gathered the names and addresses of as many directors, producers and studio executives as he could find and sent them what is surely one of the greatest, most effective cover letters ever to be written; a letter which secured him three interviews, one of which led to his job as a junior writer at MGM.
Fifteen years later, screenwriter Robert Pirosh won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the war film, Battleground. A few months after that, he also won a Golden Globe."
A heartwarming reply from Roald Dahl to seven-year-old Amy, who had sent him one of her dreams, contained in a bottle, along with a letter. The dream is an allusion to the BFG, one of Amy's favorite Dahl books, wonderful, magical story of a Big Friendly Giant who collects nice dreams and then blows them through the windows of sleeping children.
Happy reading!
"The highlights are endless, but let me pluck a handful from the bag to whet your appetite. We have a letter from Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol that contains a wonderfully laid-back design brief for a Rolling Stones album cover; a handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth II to US President Eisenhower which is accompanied by Ma’am’s personal scone recipe; a remarkable and masterful riposte from a freed slave to his old master that will leave many of you punching the air; Virginia Woolf’s heart-rending final letter to her husband, written shortly before taking her own life; a beautiful, delicate letter of advice from Iggy Pop to a troubled young fan that could warm the coldest of hearts; a truly incredible letter penned by scientist Francis Crick to his son, in which he announces the discovery of the structure of DNA; a harrowing account of a mastectomy performed without anaesthetic, written by the 60-year old patient to her daughter; and an extraordinary job application letter from one of history’s most celebrated minds, Leonardo da Vinci. On your travels you will read love letters, rejection letters, fan letters, apology letters; you will be saddened, maddened, delighted and shocked. One of the letters, imprinted into a clay tablet, dates all the way back to the 14th century BC; the most recent is just a few years old. However, despite their many flavours, I am hopeful that all will captivate you as they have me and whisk you to a point in time far more effectively than the average history book – indeed, I can think of no better way to learn about the past than through the often candid correspondence of those who lived it."
-Shaun Usher in the foreword
The book's aesthetic is enhanced with scanned copies of the originals of the letters. The stories are quite remarkable, but I felt they are too random to be read in one sitting. The collection seemed to me to be something one would like to leaf through at will to read at leisure. It also might make a good addition to the coffee-table for others. Here are a few samples.
"In March 1973, acclaimed author E.B. White wrote the following perfectly formed reply to a Mr Nadeau, who sought White’s opinion on what he saw as a bleak future for the human race. "
"In 1934, a New York copywriter by the name of Robert Pirosh quit his well-paid job and headed for Hollywood, determined to begin the career of his dreams as a screenwriter. When he arrived, he gathered the names and addresses of as many directors, producers and studio executives as he could find and sent them what is surely one of the greatest, most effective cover letters ever to be written; a letter which secured him three interviews, one of which led to his job as a junior writer at MGM.
Fifteen years later, screenwriter Robert Pirosh won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the war film, Battleground. A few months after that, he also won a Golden Globe."
A heartwarming reply from Roald Dahl to seven-year-old Amy, who had sent him one of her dreams, contained in a bottle, along with a letter. The dream is an allusion to the BFG, one of Amy's favorite Dahl books, wonderful, magical story of a Big Friendly Giant who collects nice dreams and then blows them through the windows of sleeping children.
Happy reading!
April 26, 2017
This one is truly amazing.
Such a beautiful collection of inspiring letters.
Will reread this many times, I think.
Wish I had the physical copy, I would treasure it forever.
Just lengthening my already humongous wishlist, I guess.
Update April 2017:
Did in fact get a physical copy and reread it! Still great.
Such a beautiful collection of inspiring letters.
Will reread this many times, I think.
Wish I had the physical copy, I would treasure it forever.
Just lengthening my already humongous wishlist, I guess.
Update April 2017:
Did in fact get a physical copy and reread it! Still great.
April 27, 2023
4.5
Letters of Note is a collection of unique and interesting correspondences throughout history.
I rarely listen to audio books, as my mind wanders and I lose thread of what is said, but the audio book version of this book was excellent as the letters were narrated by some of my favorite actors and actresses such as Olivia Colman, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson and others.
Letters of Note is a collection of unique and interesting correspondences throughout history.
I rarely listen to audio books, as my mind wanders and I lose thread of what is said, but the audio book version of this book was excellent as the letters were narrated by some of my favorite actors and actresses such as Olivia Colman, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson and others.
November 20, 2023
This collection of letters was a joy to read. It is a simple premise. The author sourced and compiled a plethora of interesting letters from around the world. Some are heartbreaking, others are funny, a few are grim and dark, and others lift the spirits. I found it exciting to read a few each and every day. As the author notes, the letter is sort of an antique practice these days. While emails and texts push information forward quickly, there is nothing quite like receiving handwritten correspondence.
A big thank you to Helga for recommending this book for Non-Fiction November. It was an absolute blast to read, Mon Ami!
🎵| Soundtrack |🎵
❖ The Ataris - In This Diary
❖ Death – Voice of the Soul
❖ Reo Speedwagon – In My Dreams
❖ Don Ross - Klimbim
⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4 out of 5 ❖
A big thank you to Helga for recommending this book for Non-Fiction November. It was an absolute blast to read, Mon Ami!
🎵| Soundtrack |🎵
❖ The Ataris - In This Diary
❖ Death – Voice of the Soul
❖ Reo Speedwagon – In My Dreams
❖ Don Ross - Klimbim
⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4 out of 5 ❖
June 6, 2024
#Mothering May #4
Live to the hilt! To the top. I love you, 40-year old Linda, and I love what you do, what you find, what you are! – Be your own woman. Belong to those you love. Talk to my poems and talk to your heart – I’m in both: if you need me.
- Anne Sexton à filha
No prefácio de “Letters of Note: Mothers” Shaun Usher aponta para o facto de, nestas 30 cartas que escolheu, haver um padrão: as mães escrevem aos filhos/às filhas quando eles/elas ainda estão por nascer ou ainda são muito pequenos/as, enquanto os filhos/as filhas escrevem às progenitoras quando elas estão à beira da morte ou quando esta já se consumou. Numa era em que as cartas se tornam cada vez mais um anacronismo, é bonito ver algumas extremamente recentes de bloguers, jornalistas e escritoras como a britânica Caitlin Moran, que escreveu o conjunto de conselhos mais sábios e pertinentes de sempre, que eu teria adorado receber em adolescente.
Always pick up worms off the pavement and put them on the grass. They’re having a bad day. (…) However awful, you can get through any experience if you imagine yourself, in the future, telling your friends about it as they scream, with increasing disbelief, ‘No! No!’ (…) Think of yourself as a silver rocket – use loud music as your fuel; books like maps and coordinates for how to get there.
Entre a correspondência de gente famosa como Richard Wagner, Margaret Mitchell, GK Chesterton, Sylvia Plath, Luisa May Alcott e Martin Luther King, destaco a que inclui a reprimenda que o jovem Winston Churchill, a estudar num colégio interno, recebeu da mãe devido às más notas, missiva essa enviada pela ama, já que Lady Randolph Churchill estava demasiado ocupada a organizar uma festa em Ascot.
Ainda que os sentimentos que imperem nestas missivas sejam o afecto e o pesar, há duas que destoam por completo, trocadas por Bette Davies e a filha B.D. Hyman quando esta publicou uma biografia polémica e reveladora em que não poupava a estrela de cinema. Independentemente das queixas terem ou não razão de ser, a resposta de Davies foi uma bofetada de luva branca, como seria de esperar.
The sum total of your having written this book is a glaring lack of loyalty and thanks for the very privileged life I feel you have been given. (…) I have much to quarrel about in your book. I choose to ignore most of it. But not the pathetic creature you claim I have been because of the fact that I did not play Scarlett in “Gone with the Wind”. I could have but I turned it down.
Para mim, as cartas mais avassaladoras são definitivamente as que as mães escrevem a despedir-se dos filhos porque sabem que vão morrer, como punição por supostos crimes políticos ou devido a doença, razão pela qual guardei para ler por último a de Julie Yip-Williams (nascida praticamente cega no Vietname, correndo o risco de ser eutanasiada) às filhas, um ano antes do cancro a levar. Há recomendações de ordem prática, como a marca de comida do cão e o nome do afinador do piano, que creio que só uma mulher teria a precaução de incluir, mas logo as abandona e redige um texto inspirador, com uma abnegação admirável.
You will be deprived of a mother. As your mother, I wish I could protect you from the pain. But also as your mother, I want you to feel the pain, to live it, embrace it, and then learn from it. Be stronger people because of it, for you will know that you carry my strength within you. Be more compassionate people because of it; empathize with those who suffer in their own ways. Rejoice in life and all its beauty because of it; live with special zest and zeal for me. Be grateful in a way that only someone who lost her mother so early can, in your understanding of the precariousness and preciousness of life. This is my challenge to you, my sweet girls, to take an ugly tragedy and transform it into a source of beauty, love, strength, courage, and wisdom.
Live to the hilt! To the top. I love you, 40-year old Linda, and I love what you do, what you find, what you are! – Be your own woman. Belong to those you love. Talk to my poems and talk to your heart – I’m in both: if you need me.
- Anne Sexton à filha
No prefácio de “Letters of Note: Mothers” Shaun Usher aponta para o facto de, nestas 30 cartas que escolheu, haver um padrão: as mães escrevem aos filhos/às filhas quando eles/elas ainda estão por nascer ou ainda são muito pequenos/as, enquanto os filhos/as filhas escrevem às progenitoras quando elas estão à beira da morte ou quando esta já se consumou. Numa era em que as cartas se tornam cada vez mais um anacronismo, é bonito ver algumas extremamente recentes de bloguers, jornalistas e escritoras como a britânica Caitlin Moran, que escreveu o conjunto de conselhos mais sábios e pertinentes de sempre, que eu teria adorado receber em adolescente.
Always pick up worms off the pavement and put them on the grass. They’re having a bad day. (…) However awful, you can get through any experience if you imagine yourself, in the future, telling your friends about it as they scream, with increasing disbelief, ‘No! No!’ (…) Think of yourself as a silver rocket – use loud music as your fuel; books like maps and coordinates for how to get there.
Entre a correspondência de gente famosa como Richard Wagner, Margaret Mitchell, GK Chesterton, Sylvia Plath, Luisa May Alcott e Martin Luther King, destaco a que inclui a reprimenda que o jovem Winston Churchill, a estudar num colégio interno, recebeu da mãe devido às más notas, missiva essa enviada pela ama, já que Lady Randolph Churchill estava demasiado ocupada a organizar uma festa em Ascot.
Ainda que os sentimentos que imperem nestas missivas sejam o afecto e o pesar, há duas que destoam por completo, trocadas por Bette Davies e a filha B.D. Hyman quando esta publicou uma biografia polémica e reveladora em que não poupava a estrela de cinema. Independentemente das queixas terem ou não razão de ser, a resposta de Davies foi uma bofetada de luva branca, como seria de esperar.
The sum total of your having written this book is a glaring lack of loyalty and thanks for the very privileged life I feel you have been given. (…) I have much to quarrel about in your book. I choose to ignore most of it. But not the pathetic creature you claim I have been because of the fact that I did not play Scarlett in “Gone with the Wind”. I could have but I turned it down.
Para mim, as cartas mais avassaladoras são definitivamente as que as mães escrevem a despedir-se dos filhos porque sabem que vão morrer, como punição por supostos crimes políticos ou devido a doença, razão pela qual guardei para ler por último a de Julie Yip-Williams (nascida praticamente cega no Vietname, correndo o risco de ser eutanasiada) às filhas, um ano antes do cancro a levar. Há recomendações de ordem prática, como a marca de comida do cão e o nome do afinador do piano, que creio que só uma mulher teria a precaução de incluir, mas logo as abandona e redige um texto inspirador, com uma abnegação admirável.
You will be deprived of a mother. As your mother, I wish I could protect you from the pain. But also as your mother, I want you to feel the pain, to live it, embrace it, and then learn from it. Be stronger people because of it, for you will know that you carry my strength within you. Be more compassionate people because of it; empathize with those who suffer in their own ways. Rejoice in life and all its beauty because of it; live with special zest and zeal for me. Be grateful in a way that only someone who lost her mother so early can, in your understanding of the precariousness and preciousness of life. This is my challenge to you, my sweet girls, to take an ugly tragedy and transform it into a source of beauty, love, strength, courage, and wisdom.
August 16, 2015
What a wonderful book. If you haven't seen it in real life, this is a beast of a thing. A huge, very well produced hardback, that would make a great coffee table book or an excellent gift.
I've read through the 125 letters and they've made me both laugh and cry. There are some real gems included, by the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Leonardo da Vinci, Elvis Presley, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. There are many letters by authors such as Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway, to name just a few. Four or five letters brought tears to my eyes, for various reasons and some of them were simply masterpieces. Possibly my favourite was letter no.19 'To my Old Master' which was fantastically composed and conveying everything we'd hope from a former slave.
My advice is that you should rush out and borrow or buy yourself a copy, or if you're very lucky, ask for it as a gift, like I did last Christmas.
It's quite a pricey book, RRP is £30. It's currently on sale at Amazon for £20 new, or about £15 second hand. It is available on kindle for £10.99, but don't get this. Once you see the book in real life you'll understand why. It's worth the full £30 and I don't ever like to pay more than £2-3 second hand for books. If you're ever going to pay full price, then this is a worthy contender, especially if you can seek it out from an independent book seller.
I've read through the 125 letters and they've made me both laugh and cry. There are some real gems included, by the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Leonardo da Vinci, Elvis Presley, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. There are many letters by authors such as Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway, to name just a few. Four or five letters brought tears to my eyes, for various reasons and some of them were simply masterpieces. Possibly my favourite was letter no.19 'To my Old Master' which was fantastically composed and conveying everything we'd hope from a former slave.
My advice is that you should rush out and borrow or buy yourself a copy, or if you're very lucky, ask for it as a gift, like I did last Christmas.
It's quite a pricey book, RRP is £30. It's currently on sale at Amazon for £20 new, or about £15 second hand. It is available on kindle for £10.99, but don't get this. Once you see the book in real life you'll understand why. It's worth the full £30 and I don't ever like to pay more than £2-3 second hand for books. If you're ever going to pay full price, then this is a worthy contender, especially if you can seek it out from an independent book seller.
April 4, 2021
"Em Dezembro de 1944, durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, Kurt Vonnegut, então um soldado de 22 anos, estava atrás das linhas inimigas, lutando na campanha da Renânia, quando foi capturado pela Wehrmachat. Um mês depois, junto com outros prisioneiros de guerra, foi levado para um campo de trabalho em Dresden e trancafiado num matadouro subterrâneo que os alemães chamavam de "Schlachthof Fünf" (Matadouro Cinco). Em Fevereiro, essa prisão subterrânea salvou-lhes a vida, durante o controverso e devastador bombardeio de Dresden , após o qual Vonnegut e os demais sobreviventes ajudaram a remover os escombros. Em Maio, quando já se encontrava num campo de repatriamento de prisioneiros de guerra, Vonnegut escreveu para a família, relatando sua captura e sua sobrevivência - fonte de inspiração para seu clássico romance
Matadouro cinco.
Foi este género de texto explicativo que acompanhou cada uma das cartas deste livro. (A carta em si não transcrevo, é extensa.) E são muitas. Para todos os gostos e capazes de impelir a outros tantos tipos de sentimentos. Não escolhi esta por a achar melhor, essa seria uma selecção muito, muito difícil, foi simplesmente por ser a última e por ter ficado feliz por possuir o livro referido e ainda não o ter lido.
Este é um livrinho maravilhoso que infelizmente não está publicado por cá. Foi o cabo dos trabalhos para conseguir o ebook, e não é, de certeza a melhor opção para este género de trabalho. Mas, "quem não tem cão..."
Matadouro cinco.
Foi este género de texto explicativo que acompanhou cada uma das cartas deste livro. (A carta em si não transcrevo, é extensa.) E são muitas. Para todos os gostos e capazes de impelir a outros tantos tipos de sentimentos. Não escolhi esta por a achar melhor, essa seria uma selecção muito, muito difícil, foi simplesmente por ser a última e por ter ficado feliz por possuir o livro referido e ainda não o ter lido.
Este é um livrinho maravilhoso que infelizmente não está publicado por cá. Foi o cabo dos trabalhos para conseguir o ebook, e não é, de certeza a melhor opção para este género de trabalho. Mas, "quem não tem cão..."
June 16, 2023
Simplemente me encantó el proyecto detrás de este libro.
Es un libro plagado de datos interesantes, figuras enigmáticas y frases entrañables. Página a página vas descubriendo eventos históricos que desconocías o personaje que aludían tu atención.
Si eres un fan de la historia, ciencia, literatura, música…..bueno hay para todos los gustos.
Creo que es un libro que no tiene pierde.
¡Fabuloso!
Es un libro plagado de datos interesantes, figuras enigmáticas y frases entrañables. Página a página vas descubriendo eventos históricos que desconocías o personaje que aludían tu atención.
Si eres un fan de la historia, ciencia, literatura, música…..bueno hay para todos los gustos.
Creo que es un libro que no tiene pierde.
¡Fabuloso!
August 23, 2014
I am a member of what feels like a very limited group of people who still favor “snail mail” and the written word. There is an element of romance involved which can’t be found in a text message or email. Although self described as a “poor letter-writer”; Shaun Usher equally sees the beauty of letters and compiles 125 of them in, “Letter of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience”.
“Letters of Note” follows a simple concept: a compilation of 125 letters presented in a glossy-paged, coffee-table book format. These letters scan centuries of time while their authors and recipients include various famous personalities (Elvis Presley, FDR, Einstein, Martin Luther King JR, Mary, Queen of Scots, Nick Cave, and Emily Dickinson to name a few) and also every-day folk like you and me. The actual text of the letters are accompanied by brief descriptions of the correspondence, date, and photos/scans of the letters or of the individuals involved.
Usher notably presents these letters in a very cohesive way forming an even pace and a unified strain even though each page features a different letter. “Letters of Note” is in no way a jumbled mess and instead creates a spark of excitement, encouraging page-turning. Not to mention, the accompanying photos of the letters are highly pleasing as they bring the authors to life.
Although the letters featured on the pages of “Letters of Note” are interesting enough on their own merit by showcasing a sort of ‘behind the scenes’ look at famous people and/or events; there is a prevalent deeper tone and message. “Letters of Note” brings to the forefront emotions of mankind, relatable experiences, the beauty of memories, and even the art of penmanship and grammar which has been fading away so quickly in an era of computer screens. The fact that “Letters of Note” can evoke so many emotions merely as a compilation book (versus of that with a narrative plot); makes it quite a success indeed.
One of the worries of a compilation book is that similar to a book of short stories where some shorter-length tales aren’t as strong; shorter letters wouldn’t be as powerful as longer ones. Yet, despite the length of text or even the author, each letter is moving and tells stories far deeper than the literal words. “Letters of Note” is quite compelling.
The biggest qualm concerning “Letters of Note” is the inclusion of repeated letters authors and recipients. Yes, the letters are unique and meaningful, but at times, it becomes tedious to see the same famous names repeated.
A small detail worth noting (no pun intended) is the beautiful presentation of including an attached ribbon page-holder to “Letter of Note” which adds sentiment and an element of elegance.
“Letters of Note” is a truly gratifying compilation exhibiting creativity on its surface while the true nature of human kind is offered in its deep unraveling. Whether one is searching for a quirky coffee table book or for some inspiration and faith; “Letters of Note” is suggested for all readers who still hold love for a traditional letter/note.
“Letters of Note” follows a simple concept: a compilation of 125 letters presented in a glossy-paged, coffee-table book format. These letters scan centuries of time while their authors and recipients include various famous personalities (Elvis Presley, FDR, Einstein, Martin Luther King JR, Mary, Queen of Scots, Nick Cave, and Emily Dickinson to name a few) and also every-day folk like you and me. The actual text of the letters are accompanied by brief descriptions of the correspondence, date, and photos/scans of the letters or of the individuals involved.
Usher notably presents these letters in a very cohesive way forming an even pace and a unified strain even though each page features a different letter. “Letters of Note” is in no way a jumbled mess and instead creates a spark of excitement, encouraging page-turning. Not to mention, the accompanying photos of the letters are highly pleasing as they bring the authors to life.
Although the letters featured on the pages of “Letters of Note” are interesting enough on their own merit by showcasing a sort of ‘behind the scenes’ look at famous people and/or events; there is a prevalent deeper tone and message. “Letters of Note” brings to the forefront emotions of mankind, relatable experiences, the beauty of memories, and even the art of penmanship and grammar which has been fading away so quickly in an era of computer screens. The fact that “Letters of Note” can evoke so many emotions merely as a compilation book (versus of that with a narrative plot); makes it quite a success indeed.
One of the worries of a compilation book is that similar to a book of short stories where some shorter-length tales aren’t as strong; shorter letters wouldn’t be as powerful as longer ones. Yet, despite the length of text or even the author, each letter is moving and tells stories far deeper than the literal words. “Letters of Note” is quite compelling.
The biggest qualm concerning “Letters of Note” is the inclusion of repeated letters authors and recipients. Yes, the letters are unique and meaningful, but at times, it becomes tedious to see the same famous names repeated.
A small detail worth noting (no pun intended) is the beautiful presentation of including an attached ribbon page-holder to “Letter of Note” which adds sentiment and an element of elegance.
“Letters of Note” is a truly gratifying compilation exhibiting creativity on its surface while the true nature of human kind is offered in its deep unraveling. Whether one is searching for a quirky coffee table book or for some inspiration and faith; “Letters of Note” is suggested for all readers who still hold love for a traditional letter/note.
October 16, 2022
Had more appeal in the original serialised form.
October 28, 2013
Letters of Note started four years ago with the sole aim of bringing people, “correspondence deserving of a wider audience.” The collator of the blog and book is Shaun Usher, a writer himself, and I have long been a fan of his www.lettersofnote.com – so I was thrilled when he pitched the idea for a Letters of Note book to the crowd-sourced publisher, unbound. Eight pages at the back of the book list all of the unbound subscribers who made the Letters of Note book a reality, which is just lovely.
The book itself is a design feast. UK design studio ‘here design’ are responsible for the cover design and typesetting; but for the sumptuous loveliness and heft, I’m quite surprised that it’s only retailing for AUD$49.99 – also surprised, because Usher has included reproductions of original documents throughout the book, which adds such quality and uniqueness.
So there’s a stunning reproduction of her own stationary that Annie Oakley wrote on to US President William McKinley, when she was offering her army of “lady sharp-shooters” to the Spanish-American war (he declined). There’s also a full-page picture of a tablet (circa 1340 BC) from Ayyab to Amenhotep IV. A yellow legal-pad letter from John Kricfalusi includes doodles of what would later become his ‘Ren & Stimpy’ characters.
And on the pages where letters could not be reproduced in their original form, Usher has included some stunning photographs of the correspondents. Like the haunting portrait of Virginia Woolf that accompanies her suicide note, discovered by her husband on their mantelpiece (“If anybody could have saved me it would have been you.”)
Sometimes, when the correspondents were not famous enough to warrant a photograph, Usher has included photography – like the image of earth from outer-space to go with a letter from the director of science at NASA, to a Zambia-based nun (she wanted to know why billions of dollars was being spent on space travel, when there were children starving here on earth.)
The letters are laid down in no particular order, rhyme or reason – and I love that. They are just as they came to us on the blog, each page-turn revealing a delightful treat. Here’s Ernest Hemingway giving writing advice to F. Scott Fitzgerald (“That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best – make it all up – but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.”) An award-winning Pixar writer/director responding to correspondence from a young fan, or a threatening letter addressed to Martin Luther King. There is a surprise with the turn of each page.
And I was so pleased that my two favourite letters from the blog are included in this collection.
The first is a letter of advice from John Steinbeck to his then fourteen-year-old son, Thom, who had fallen for a girl called Susan. “You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply – of course it isn’t puppy love.” I adore this because there’s such pleasure in knowing one of the greatest authors of all time wrote just as deeply and from the heart in his own correspondence with family as he did in the books that made him a legend. And he ends the letter “Love, Fa” – which just slays me.
But my absolutely favourite letter is one of sadly macabre humour and chest-swelling triumph. ‘To My Old Master’ is a letter from Jourdon Anderson to Patrick Henry Anderson, dated August 7th 1865. Jourdon was slave to Patrick Henry for 32 years, but fled with his wife and children when Union Army soldiers freed the plantation. One year later (and after the Civil War), Jourdon’s old master wrote to him, asking that he return to work. Jourdon’s reply is magnificent, though Jourdon makes mention of the injustice and brutality he and his suffered under the old masters – “We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense.” The letter ends, “Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.”
The ‘Letters of Note’ November release is perfectly timed – here is a book that will make a fine Christmas present, but an even better graduation gift. Herein are the magnificent, laugh-out-loud, heart-piercing letters that Usher was right to want to share with a much wider audience. Gift this book to someone and they’ll appreciate the humour, wisdom and eloquence of the 100 letters within.
The book itself is a design feast. UK design studio ‘here design’ are responsible for the cover design and typesetting; but for the sumptuous loveliness and heft, I’m quite surprised that it’s only retailing for AUD$49.99 – also surprised, because Usher has included reproductions of original documents throughout the book, which adds such quality and uniqueness.
So there’s a stunning reproduction of her own stationary that Annie Oakley wrote on to US President William McKinley, when she was offering her army of “lady sharp-shooters” to the Spanish-American war (he declined). There’s also a full-page picture of a tablet (circa 1340 BC) from Ayyab to Amenhotep IV. A yellow legal-pad letter from John Kricfalusi includes doodles of what would later become his ‘Ren & Stimpy’ characters.
And on the pages where letters could not be reproduced in their original form, Usher has included some stunning photographs of the correspondents. Like the haunting portrait of Virginia Woolf that accompanies her suicide note, discovered by her husband on their mantelpiece (“If anybody could have saved me it would have been you.”)
Sometimes, when the correspondents were not famous enough to warrant a photograph, Usher has included photography – like the image of earth from outer-space to go with a letter from the director of science at NASA, to a Zambia-based nun (she wanted to know why billions of dollars was being spent on space travel, when there were children starving here on earth.)
The letters are laid down in no particular order, rhyme or reason – and I love that. They are just as they came to us on the blog, each page-turn revealing a delightful treat. Here’s Ernest Hemingway giving writing advice to F. Scott Fitzgerald (“That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best – make it all up – but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.”) An award-winning Pixar writer/director responding to correspondence from a young fan, or a threatening letter addressed to Martin Luther King. There is a surprise with the turn of each page.
And I was so pleased that my two favourite letters from the blog are included in this collection.
The first is a letter of advice from John Steinbeck to his then fourteen-year-old son, Thom, who had fallen for a girl called Susan. “You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply – of course it isn’t puppy love.” I adore this because there’s such pleasure in knowing one of the greatest authors of all time wrote just as deeply and from the heart in his own correspondence with family as he did in the books that made him a legend. And he ends the letter “Love, Fa” – which just slays me.
But my absolutely favourite letter is one of sadly macabre humour and chest-swelling triumph. ‘To My Old Master’ is a letter from Jourdon Anderson to Patrick Henry Anderson, dated August 7th 1865. Jourdon was slave to Patrick Henry for 32 years, but fled with his wife and children when Union Army soldiers freed the plantation. One year later (and after the Civil War), Jourdon’s old master wrote to him, asking that he return to work. Jourdon’s reply is magnificent, though Jourdon makes mention of the injustice and brutality he and his suffered under the old masters – “We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense.” The letter ends, “Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.”
The ‘Letters of Note’ November release is perfectly timed – here is a book that will make a fine Christmas present, but an even better graduation gift. Herein are the magnificent, laugh-out-loud, heart-piercing letters that Usher was right to want to share with a much wider audience. Gift this book to someone and they’ll appreciate the humour, wisdom and eloquence of the 100 letters within.
October 22, 2017
Opustiti se. Utonuti u istoriju, licnu i drustvenu, putovanja, emocije, slomove, neuroze, trenutke nadahnutosti i slabosti, na stotine poznatih, manje poznatih ili potpuno nepoznatih ljudi koji su pisali pisma. Predsednicima, urednicima, poslodavcima, rodjacima, ljubavnicima, kosmosu, samima sebi, na najrazlicitije teme i nacine.
Utonuti u prelepo odabrane i dizajnirane strane iz kojih se uci i koje gutaju. Koliko divna, vazna, atipicna i prelepa knjiga. Ne datumira se pocetak i kraj citanja. Musthave za kucne kolekcije i celozivotno istrazivanje.
Utonuti u prelepo odabrane i dizajnirane strane iz kojih se uci i koje gutaju. Koliko divna, vazna, atipicna i prelepa knjiga. Ne datumira se pocetak i kraj citanja. Musthave za kucne kolekcije i celozivotno istrazivanje.
September 28, 2022
My favorite newsletter is “letters of note;” I came across it two years ago in grad school as something librarians might find useful. I haven’t found use for it yet in my library, but oh my goodness, I have loved almost every letter they highlight in each email they send. I didn’t realize there were (volumes!) of a book version until recently.
This is such a beautiful book of letters, ranging from funny (a child’s letter to Richard Nixon); to aching (“I shall miss you with passion and wild regret,” said Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor after she ended their (first) marriage. I understand why they were married a second time as I’d have forgiven him for anything after his letter); to philosophical (Hunter S Thompson’s astute life advice given to a friend), and so much more and everything in between. There is a letter from a former slave to his former slave owner that is one of the best letters I have ever read. Nick Cave’s letter to MTV declining to be considered for an award is the highest form of art. Honestly, there aren’t really any letters that I skipped over; all were interesting and often moving for a myriad of reasons.
The editor not only provides insightful context for each letter but he also transcribes each and shows the original; seeing Annie Oakley’s fabulous letterhead is a treat; Queen Elizabeth’s letter to Eisenhower about his stay at Balmoral and how she adjusts her recipe for scones is almost as charming as seeing how messy her penmanship is. I greatly enjoyed seeing the doodles of two artist friends on the margins of their letters, or a humorous cartoon drawn by Charles Schultz to a fan who complained about his comic. It’s a thoughtfully designed, wonderful book to dip in and out of.
This is such a beautiful book of letters, ranging from funny (a child’s letter to Richard Nixon); to aching (“I shall miss you with passion and wild regret,” said Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor after she ended their (first) marriage. I understand why they were married a second time as I’d have forgiven him for anything after his letter); to philosophical (Hunter S Thompson’s astute life advice given to a friend), and so much more and everything in between. There is a letter from a former slave to his former slave owner that is one of the best letters I have ever read. Nick Cave’s letter to MTV declining to be considered for an award is the highest form of art. Honestly, there aren’t really any letters that I skipped over; all were interesting and often moving for a myriad of reasons.
The editor not only provides insightful context for each letter but he also transcribes each and shows the original; seeing Annie Oakley’s fabulous letterhead is a treat; Queen Elizabeth’s letter to Eisenhower about his stay at Balmoral and how she adjusts her recipe for scones is almost as charming as seeing how messy her penmanship is. I greatly enjoyed seeing the doodles of two artist friends on the margins of their letters, or a humorous cartoon drawn by Charles Schultz to a fan who complained about his comic. It’s a thoughtfully designed, wonderful book to dip in and out of.
January 8, 2015
Hidden treasure between the covers. Letters from around the world, different times, the famous and not so famous, all have one thing in common, they are fascinating! I've had this on my coffee table for a couple weeks and everyone who has picked it up has had trouble putting it down.
January 31, 2018
Cute idea--reproducing correspondence between famous people to give insight into their personal lives, or the events of the time--but became a bit tedious after maybe 1/3 of the way through.
Read
December 27, 2017Geopoetika je pred kraj prošle godine objavila prevod ove knjige pod naslovom "Muzej prepiske: lična pisma koja bi trebalo da pripadaju svima". U pitanju je knjiga koja sadrži 125 pisama i najmanje još toliko fotografija i usputnih napomena. Veliki deo ovih epistolarnih tekstova predstavlja pravo svedočanstvo o ljudskoj kreativnosti i domišljatosti. Neka od tih pisama sastoje se od svega nekoliko reči ili rečenica - poput poruke koju je Džon Kenedi, kao jedan od preživelih članova posade broda potopljenog od strane japanskog razarača, urezao na ljusci kokosovog oraha i poslao po dvojici domorodaca na Solomonovim ostrvima do najbliže američke baze, dok su pojedina napisana na nekoliko strana - poput pisma koje je udovica Oldosa Hakslija poslala njegovom bratu opisujući poslednje dana svog supruga.
Pronašla su svoje mesto u ovom "literarnom muzeju" i ona bizarna (pismo Džeka Trboseka lokalnom inspektoru policije propraćeno komadom bubrega jedne od žrtava), vapijuća (pismo Krvave Meri nastalo dan uoči izvršenja smrtne kazne nad njom), očajna (oproštajno pismo Virdžinije Vulf), duhovita (ima ih na desetine), kao i ona pisma koja su ostavila neizbrisiv trag u istoriji ljudske civilizacije (Ajnštajnovo pismo Ruzveltu o pojedinostima koje se tiču atomske bombe). Moram priznati da sam sa znatiželjom čitao većinu njih. Jedno od pisama koje je na mene ostavilo najveći utisak je pismo koje je 1865. bivši rob poslao svom robovlasniku nakon što ga je ovaj, po završetku Građanskog rata u Americi, pozvao da se vrati na plantažu pamuka i pomogne mu da je spase.
Ono što bi se možda moglo zameriti ovoj knjizi pre svega je etičke prirode i tiče se pitanja - da li je u redu objaviti pisma koja su intimne prirode i koja nisu pisana da ih svi čitaju?! Takođe, jedan od prigovora bi mogao da ide na račun formata knjige. Naime, knjiga je prilično velika i štampana je u mekom povezu, pa je pomalo nezgodna za čitanje. Naravno, nisu ni sva pisma podjednake vrednosti i upečatljivosti, pa otuda jaka trojka.
Pronašla su svoje mesto u ovom "literarnom muzeju" i ona bizarna (pismo Džeka Trboseka lokalnom inspektoru policije propraćeno komadom bubrega jedne od žrtava), vapijuća (pismo Krvave Meri nastalo dan uoči izvršenja smrtne kazne nad njom), očajna (oproštajno pismo Virdžinije Vulf), duhovita (ima ih na desetine), kao i ona pisma koja su ostavila neizbrisiv trag u istoriji ljudske civilizacije (Ajnštajnovo pismo Ruzveltu o pojedinostima koje se tiču atomske bombe). Moram priznati da sam sa znatiželjom čitao većinu njih. Jedno od pisama koje je na mene ostavilo najveći utisak je pismo koje je 1865. bivši rob poslao svom robovlasniku nakon što ga je ovaj, po završetku Građanskog rata u Americi, pozvao da se vrati na plantažu pamuka i pomogne mu da je spase.
Ono što bi se možda moglo zameriti ovoj knjizi pre svega je etičke prirode i tiče se pitanja - da li je u redu objaviti pisma koja su intimne prirode i koja nisu pisana da ih svi čitaju?! Takođe, jedan od prigovora bi mogao da ide na račun formata knjige. Naime, knjiga je prilično velika i štampana je u mekom povezu, pa je pomalo nezgodna za čitanje. Naravno, nisu ni sva pisma podjednake vrednosti i upečatljivosti, pa otuda jaka trojka.
December 12, 2013
Marvellous book. I love that reproductions of (most of) the actual letters are included: they're exquisite, unreadable, elegant, crass, heartbreaking.
It's fitting that the book is a beautiful artefact as well. The paper is a great weight, and not too glossy. I heart the shiny embossed cover. The size works great with the letter reproductions, but it did make it hard to read. This definitely wasn't commutable, and it was too big to read in bed or in an armchair. It requires a table and undivided attention. Maybe that's exactly how it should be.
It's fitting that the book is a beautiful artefact as well. The paper is a great weight, and not too glossy. I heart the shiny embossed cover. The size works great with the letter reproductions, but it did make it hard to read. This definitely wasn't commutable, and it was too big to read in bed or in an armchair. It requires a table and undivided attention. Maybe that's exactly how it should be.
May 23, 2019
Some remarkable letters here, some of which are reproduced, which is all the better. I confess to not reading every single one. I dislike Ernest Hemingway, for example; I have Hemingway over-saturation and never need to hear of him again.
My 2 favourites here were
1. "Sweetheart, Come," a profoundly sad letter from a crazy woman to her husband, especially worthwhile for being reproduced
2. "To my old master," from a former slave to his former master, which is basically an effective flipping of the bird
There were other worthwhile letters, like the one from the guy who foresaw the Challenger disaster, and the pissed-off guy who wrote to an environmental agency about a dam.
I didn't like the show-offy letters, like Eudora Welty's (though I love Eudora Welty) and Groucho Marx. They were more irritating than amusing.
All in all a nice collection. I gave it as a gift.
My 2 favourites here were
1. "Sweetheart, Come," a profoundly sad letter from a crazy woman to her husband, especially worthwhile for being reproduced
2. "To my old master," from a former slave to his former master, which is basically an effective flipping of the bird
There were other worthwhile letters, like the one from the guy who foresaw the Challenger disaster, and the pissed-off guy who wrote to an environmental agency about a dam.
I didn't like the show-offy letters, like Eudora Welty's (though I love Eudora Welty) and Groucho Marx. They were more irritating than amusing.
All in all a nice collection. I gave it as a gift.
June 3, 2024
Letters of consolation, encouragement, sympathy, and appreciation. The collection is diverse, with correspondences from the griever, the friend, the acquaintance, or the victim's family, and from different age groups. There is an eloquence in its sincerity that I find endearing.
If you like this collection, you might also like The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief, and Transformation. Rilke is a favorite and this collection of his letters on grief are heartwarming.
If you like this collection, you might also like The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief, and Transformation. Rilke is a favorite and this collection of his letters on grief are heartwarming.
September 19, 2022
"(...) remember that every life is a special problem which is not yours but another's, and content yourself with the terrible algebra of your own." (Henry James to Grace Norton)
March 19, 2014
This is a wondrous collection of 125 letters selected from the cream of the crop on lettersofnote.com. The letters are wide ranging, letters of great historical importance, letters of consolation, some light hearted notes, letters from famous personages and letters from not so famous personages but that are equally as interesting.
The collection includes such gems as a job application from Leonardo Da Vinci, Iggy Pop’s letter to a fan, Albert Einstein’s take on god, F. Scott Fitzgerald's letter of advice to his daughter Scottie, the letter sent to Baron William Parker in 1605 that foiled the gun powder plot and an Alabama attorney Generals official letter responding to a white supremacist’s threats “Kiss my ass”. One of my favourites was a Henry James letter of consolation to his friend Grace Norton a writer who was recently bereaved and in the throes of depression. It’s a beautiful, eloquent and warm letter. In 1944 Kurt Vonnegut was captured by the Germans brought to Dresden where he survived the bombing. He wrote a letter that explains the genesis of the book 'Slaughter house 5'.
Even the medium of the letters are interesting. Galileo’s 1610 letter to Doge of Venice describing Jupiter’s four largest moons is written on parchment. JFK’s message requesting rescue from the Solomon Islands is carved onto a coconut shell. Also exhibited is writing on an Akkadian clay tablet and a telegram sent from the Titanic.
The presentation is superb. Each letter has a short piece of background information, a facsimile of the actual letter and a transcript. Eighty percent of the letters were found by Usher by browsing through internet archives or visiting museums and archives, the remaining twenty percent are submitted by the public. Interestingly the publication of this collection was financed by crowd funding. This would make an excellent gift. There are some absolute gems. It’s expensive but surprising, moreish and wonderful. Viva the physical artefact!
The collection includes such gems as a job application from Leonardo Da Vinci, Iggy Pop’s letter to a fan, Albert Einstein’s take on god, F. Scott Fitzgerald's letter of advice to his daughter Scottie, the letter sent to Baron William Parker in 1605 that foiled the gun powder plot and an Alabama attorney Generals official letter responding to a white supremacist’s threats “Kiss my ass”. One of my favourites was a Henry James letter of consolation to his friend Grace Norton a writer who was recently bereaved and in the throes of depression. It’s a beautiful, eloquent and warm letter. In 1944 Kurt Vonnegut was captured by the Germans brought to Dresden where he survived the bombing. He wrote a letter that explains the genesis of the book 'Slaughter house 5'.
Even the medium of the letters are interesting. Galileo’s 1610 letter to Doge of Venice describing Jupiter’s four largest moons is written on parchment. JFK’s message requesting rescue from the Solomon Islands is carved onto a coconut shell. Also exhibited is writing on an Akkadian clay tablet and a telegram sent from the Titanic.
The presentation is superb. Each letter has a short piece of background information, a facsimile of the actual letter and a transcript. Eighty percent of the letters were found by Usher by browsing through internet archives or visiting museums and archives, the remaining twenty percent are submitted by the public. Interestingly the publication of this collection was financed by crowd funding. This would make an excellent gift. There are some absolute gems. It’s expensive but surprising, moreish and wonderful. Viva the physical artefact!
October 15, 2020
>>Letters of Note ist eine Sammlung von 125 der unterhaltsamsten, inspirierendsten und ungewöhnlichsten Briefe der Weltgeschichte. Das Buch basiert auf der sensationell populären Website gleichen Namens – einer Art Online-Museum des Schriftverkehrs, das bereits von über 70 Millionen Menschen besucht wurde. <<
„Letters of Note – Briefe, die die Welt bedeuten“ herausgegeben von Shaun Usher ist eine wie ich finde ganz ganz besondere Sammlung der verschiedensten Briefe! Man findet hier eine Vielzahl der unterschiedlichsten Briefe und Persönlichkeiten, ich war unglaublich begeistert! Neben den Übersetzungen sind sofern möglich auch die Originale abgebildet, was dem Ganzen eine sehr persönliche und noch einzigartigere Note verleiht! Besonders begeistert hat mich zu beginn ein Brief von Queen Elzabeth „“. an US-Präsident Eisenhower in dem sie ihm ein Rezept für Eierkuchen schickt, ebenso interessant fand ich den Brief von Jack the Ripper, aber auch die Briefe von Müttern aus den 1870ger Jahren an ein Findelhaus waren sehr bewegend! Insgesamt ist hier aber jeder Brief für sich absolut besonders und ich werde dieses Buch garantiert noch viele weitere Male zur Hand nehmen und durchstöbern!
Wer auf der Suche nach dem Besonderen ist, der wird hier einen sehr gelungenen Buchschatz finden, der unglaublich viel Wahres und Wertvolles enthält.
„Letters of Note – Briefe, die die Welt bedeuten“ herausgegeben von Shaun Usher ist eine wie ich finde ganz ganz besondere Sammlung der verschiedensten Briefe! Man findet hier eine Vielzahl der unterschiedlichsten Briefe und Persönlichkeiten, ich war unglaublich begeistert! Neben den Übersetzungen sind sofern möglich auch die Originale abgebildet, was dem Ganzen eine sehr persönliche und noch einzigartigere Note verleiht! Besonders begeistert hat mich zu beginn ein Brief von Queen Elzabeth „“. an US-Präsident Eisenhower in dem sie ihm ein Rezept für Eierkuchen schickt, ebenso interessant fand ich den Brief von Jack the Ripper, aber auch die Briefe von Müttern aus den 1870ger Jahren an ein Findelhaus waren sehr bewegend! Insgesamt ist hier aber jeder Brief für sich absolut besonders und ich werde dieses Buch garantiert noch viele weitere Male zur Hand nehmen und durchstöbern!
Wer auf der Suche nach dem Besonderen ist, der wird hier einen sehr gelungenen Buchschatz finden, der unglaublich viel Wahres und Wertvolles enthält.
November 7, 2014
One of my books of the year, I think I can say. It sounds rather lofty - a collection of letters from history - but I haven't reacted to any one book with not only tears and laughter but also feelings of great admiration, warmth and hope for mankind.
Currently my colleague is reading it too, at my recommendation and feels just the same.
So how does one book manage this? Collected together are letters from various points in time, from various countries and famous and not-so-famous people. The letters themselves are often included. One is an original cuneiform letter from Ancient Egypt. Another a simple note in a long-dead language. one you won't forget shows a coconut shell, that John F Kennedy wrote an SOS note on in World War 2 when stranded on an island, that eventually brought rescue (and eventually made a White House paperweight).
I dare you to not cheer as the former slave refuses eloquently to return to his former owner without guarantees and back pay. or to smile as the editor of the Sun convinces a young writer that there IS a Santa Claus.
I cried reading the Elephant Man's doctor's words, Virginia Woolf's suicide note for her husband. Scott (of the Antarctic)'s letter "to my widow". Letters from mothers abandoning their babies at foundling homes. The Titanic telegram - no loss of life expected.
I laughed at the note condemning Fawlty Towers, one encouraging President Nixon to eat his vegetables, a reply from a 'Top Scientist' to a boy's rocket design.
All of humanity is here. Hitler's nephew wanting to fight against his relative. A Japanese kamikaze pilot writing home. Queen Elizabeth sending a drop scone recipe. Crick explaining the recently discovered DNA stricture to his nephew.
Need I say more? The content speaks for itself. A book you can dip into or read again and again. It would make a precious gift and really is quite a beautiful object in its hardback, illustrated A4 state.
Currently my colleague is reading it too, at my recommendation and feels just the same.
So how does one book manage this? Collected together are letters from various points in time, from various countries and famous and not-so-famous people. The letters themselves are often included. One is an original cuneiform letter from Ancient Egypt. Another a simple note in a long-dead language. one you won't forget shows a coconut shell, that John F Kennedy wrote an SOS note on in World War 2 when stranded on an island, that eventually brought rescue (and eventually made a White House paperweight).
I dare you to not cheer as the former slave refuses eloquently to return to his former owner without guarantees and back pay. or to smile as the editor of the Sun convinces a young writer that there IS a Santa Claus.
I cried reading the Elephant Man's doctor's words, Virginia Woolf's suicide note for her husband. Scott (of the Antarctic)'s letter "to my widow". Letters from mothers abandoning their babies at foundling homes. The Titanic telegram - no loss of life expected.
I laughed at the note condemning Fawlty Towers, one encouraging President Nixon to eat his vegetables, a reply from a 'Top Scientist' to a boy's rocket design.
All of humanity is here. Hitler's nephew wanting to fight against his relative. A Japanese kamikaze pilot writing home. Queen Elizabeth sending a drop scone recipe. Crick explaining the recently discovered DNA stricture to his nephew.
Need I say more? The content speaks for itself. A book you can dip into or read again and again. It would make a precious gift and really is quite a beautiful object in its hardback, illustrated A4 state.
September 11, 2014
I have loved reading and writing letters since I was a little girl. It was ever so thrilling to go to the mailbox and bring back an envelope addressed to me, open it with reverent anticipation, and pour over the words meant for my eyes only. I know firsthand that one can KNOW a person from their letters. It's how I got to know my grandmother in spite of being miles and miles apart. Now a senior citizen I enjoy the friendship of five pen pals. We've written for over 15 years, pouring our hearts out to each other and going through life's ups and downs together, so I know the power of a letter. I knew I would enjoy this book immensely. Some of the letters I was familiar with, while others I'd never read before. Some bring tears, and almost all of them give us an insight into the writer. My favorites were by Beethoven, Virginia Woolf, Louis Armstrong, Richard Feynman, and Sullivan Ballou. Sometimes in a letter a person's heart and soul appears in ink on paper. It's an incredible thing to see.
January 6, 2021
This is a wonderful collection, full of surprises, wisdom, idiocy, humour and bleakness.
I'd have given it five stars except that for me the typeface introducing the letters is exceptionally small. Okay for young eyes, but for old eyes, and ones that wear a second pair of glasses over his normal ones in order to read clearly, quite difficult to read, even in the best of light. I have a copy of Dickens' Bleak House in which the print is now almost impossible to read. I hate to think what such typefaces did to printers' and proofreaders' eyes in the old days...
Still, I managed to figure out most of the words (!), Shaun.
I'd have given it five stars except that for me the typeface introducing the letters is exceptionally small. Okay for young eyes, but for old eyes, and ones that wear a second pair of glasses over his normal ones in order to read clearly, quite difficult to read, even in the best of light. I have a copy of Dickens' Bleak House in which the print is now almost impossible to read. I hate to think what such typefaces did to printers' and proofreaders' eyes in the old days...
Still, I managed to figure out most of the words (!), Shaun.
March 11, 2021
Another great collection of letters from the author of the Letters of Note website. From ancient times to modern, from famous to ordinary, from birth to death, this collection mines the feelings expressed through letters to and about mothers. For those who have lost their parent or those with a strained/dysfunctional relationship, this one might be difficult to read because it surveys the wide range of possibilities that the mother-child relationship can have. But for a gift for a mother with whom one is on good terms, this would be excellent.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
August 27, 2015
I really enjoyed reading through all these letters! Some standouts: the letter Mary Stuart wrote before she was to be executed - Charles Dickens' plea for an end to public executions - the words that would have been read by Nixon if Apollo 11 had not returned from the moon - a surreal letter written by Mark David Chapman - Albert Einstein's answer to a letter about whether scientists pray - and so many more. This edition has a ribbon bound into the binding so you can mark your place as you read through these poignant, wise, funny, surprising and thoughtful missives.
December 29, 2016
This took me quite a while to read because I read a letter here and a letter there, and then forgot that I had it in my Kindle app for a period! It’s an interesting concept - a collection of letters to and/or from famous people. Some are more interesting than others - some of the “famous” people I’ve never heard of, so they didn’t mean much to me.
I liked that a lot of the letters included a copy of the original, so you could read them in the person’s own handwriting, if you wished. If their handwriting was indecipherable, a printed copy was also included.
I liked that a lot of the letters included a copy of the original, so you could read them in the person’s own handwriting, if you wished. If their handwriting was indecipherable, a printed copy was also included.
July 16, 2017
I don’t know when I’ve had a better time browsing through a book. It’s a collection of the most interesting letters ever written. It includes some classics (Little Virginia’s letter to Santa Claus! A new poet’s inquisitive letter to Rilke!) and some that were new-to-me, but, if you are like me, you won’t skip over many. It’s a must-read, folks!
December 30, 2015
One of my books of this year! It shocks, it makes you laugh, it makes you want to cry, read passages out loudly, it inspires you and restores your faith in humanity. Read it slowly and savour it. It's perfect.
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