Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience

By Shaun Usher

Book Overview

This spectacular collection of more than 125 letters offers a never-before-seen glimpse of the events and people of history--the brightest and best, the most notorious, and the endearingly everyday. Entries include a transcript of the letter; a short contextual introduction; and, in 100 cases, a captivating facsimile of the letter itself. The artfulness of Shaun Usher's eclectic arrangement creates a reading experience rich in discovery. Mordant, hilarious, poignant, enlightening--surprise rewards each turn of the page. Colorfully illustrated with photographs, portraits, and relevant artworks, this handsome hardcover is a visual treat too, making Letters of Note an utterly distinctive gift, and an instant classic.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1452134251
• ISBN13: 9781452134253
• Release Date: May 2014
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 3.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 8.0" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

Cool reference book

This book is not quite what I was expecting when I ordered it, but that's on me for not looking further into it before I bought it. I had come off the high of reading The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (fiction) and was itching for more epistolary works. Having fully enjoyed 84 Charing Cross Road (nonfiction), I thought this nonfiction will be a perfect fit. However, those are both stories and this is more of a reference work. The book is much larger than I expected - roughly 8 x 11 inches, and there are entries for many different types of correspondence. A piece is introduced, then full-page pictures of the original letter appears - sometimes a single page, sometimes multiple pages. The book is stunning, and very interesting, but more something you would read a bit here and there than one you would read straight through.