Publication Date: 06/10/2016 ISBN: 9781782119289 Category:

Letters of Note

Shaun Usher, Shaun Usher

Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
Publication Date: 06/10/2016 ISBN: 9781782119289 Category:
Paperback / Softback

£20.00

Out of stock

Description

Letters of Note is a collection of over one hundred 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 heartbreaking 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.

Publisher Review

This wonderful volume features letters for the great and the good, including Mick Jagger, Roald Dahl - and the Queen, with her personal recipe for drop scones! Some are witty, some are wicked and others will move you to tears * * Bella * * Witty, tragic, educational, inspirational * * The List * * This is an absolute dream and a privilege to have read . . . A beautifully arranged compilation of letters . . . Letters of Note boasts correspondence that will change your world-view, letters of love, rejection and admiration, fetters to wonder at and inspire * * Ribble Valley * * The volume is so well-produced it could become an heirloom, passed down through generations * * Huffington Post * * A truly extraordinary reading experience * * Big Issue * * As a guide to letters that deserve a wider readership, Usher's compilation is hard to beat * * Scotland on Sunday * * A wonderful collection of magical missives . . . It'll have you reaching for pen and paper * * Evening Standard * * It is inspiring, and often sad, funny, and occasionally quite surreal * * GQ * * Funny, tragic, brilliantly incisive, historic, lyrical, romantic and studiedly offensive, this stupendous compendium of letters ancient and modern is my book of the year. You will never tire of it -- Stephen Fry It is hard to see how Letters Of Note could ever be surpassed * * Mail on Sunday * * The literary equivalent of a box of chocolates - bite-sized and pure addictive pleasure . . . The result is beautifully produced, with photographs and colour facsimiles of much of the correspondence. A gorgeous Christmas present * * Sunday Times * * A gloriously presented compilation * * Financial Times * * Addictive, like dipping into a bag of variously tempting assorted candies, knowing that the next one will always bring surprise and pleasure * * New Yorker * * Quite literally the most enjoyable volume it is possible to imagine. Every page is a marvel * * Spectator * *

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