"Immediate and evocative, letters witness and fasten history, catching events as they happen, " write Lisa Grunwald and Stephen J. Adler in their i...
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reviews
Jan 08, 2011
Cortney
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This is a very interesting book--a great look into history and an eye-opener into what letter writing could and should be like. It is nice to sit and read one or two letters at a time, and I am finding there are lots of opportunities for research to better understand the things these people talk about, although it is not necessary to simply enjoy their writings. The book contains letters from famous as well as ordinary people throughout the century, a very well rounded compilation.
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May 22, 2007
Sarita
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I am constantly re-reading the letters in this book. The letters are funny, sobering, and intriguing in turn, but they are always revealing. My favorites:
* Groucho Marx negotiating with his production company
* Marianne Moore trying to name a new model for a car company (and having repeated rejections)
* Desperate poor women begging Margaret Sanger for help in preventing or stopping their pregnancies
* The letters for help to Eleanor Roosevelt
* Teddy Roosevelt' More...
* Groucho Marx negotiating with his production company
* Marianne Moore trying to name a new model for a car company (and having repeated rejections)
* Desperate poor women begging Margaret Sanger for help in preventing or stopping their pregnancies
* The letters for help to Eleanor Roosevelt
* Teddy Roosevelt' More...
Mar 24, 2009
Bob
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This book is a collection of letters which were written by people famous and mundane alike. The letters generally revolved around important historical happenings or inventions, but are often quite personal and paint a picture of the times in which they were written. I highly recommend this book to anyone who misses the art of letter writing or would like to introduce it to their children.
Feb 17, 2009
Erik
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One of my all time favorites. This is a collection of actual letters of the 20th century, listed chronologically. These are letters from and to both famous and "everyday" people, that help define and clarify our history. A great collection!
Jun 02, 2009
Walter
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Justin and I read these to each other over the course of the year - almost without exception I enjoyed the letters. The gem, in my opinion, is the ridiculous letter from Hemingway to Fitzgerald...reads like a parody but isn't.
Aug 07, 2008
Annette
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I love, love, love this book! I've read it and reread it often. It's an amazing collection of notable and everyday correspondences. Somehow these glimpses into moments in people's lives thread together to provide a startling sense of the fabric of the century.
Feb 14, 2008
I'm dipping into this here and there but its Fascinating! Especially reading letters written 100 yrs ago that sound like they were written today. Everyone from Presidents to regular joes represented here!
Feb 28, 2008
Carol
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Real letters from real people spanning the 20th century, documenting everything from war to intimate love letters. Like being a fly on the wall of other people's lives.
Oct 06, 2008
Erin
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This is a book of letters written by famous, infamous, and everyday people in America during 1900-1999. This is a book I love to flip through and read bit by bit.
Feb 10, 2008
Elisabeth
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I love reading other people's letters. The style of the times is so interesting and the caring and time is a long lost art.
Jan 18, 2011
The 1920s were by far the most entertaining decade for personal correspondence.
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