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Famous Letters: Messages & Thoughts That Shaped Our World
Features Leonardo da Vinci humbly applying for a job, Marie Antoinette writing a farewell letter to her sister minutes before facing the guillotine, and George Washington's angry response to the suggestion that he be crowned king. 20,000 first printing.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1993
About the author
Frank McLynn
38 books106 followersFrank McLynn is an English author, biographer, historian and journalist. He is noted for critically acclaimed biographies of Napoleon Bonaparte, Robert Louis Stevenson, Carl Jung, Richard Francis Burton and Henry Morton Stanley.
McLynn was educated at Wadham College, Oxford and the University of London. He was Alistair Horne Research Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford (1987–88) and was visiting professor in the Department of Literature at the University of Strathclyde (1996–2001) and professorial fellow at Goldsmiths College London (2000 - 2002) before becoming a full-time writer.
McLynn was educated at Wadham College, Oxford and the University of London. He was Alistair Horne Research Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford (1987–88) and was visiting professor in the Department of Literature at the University of Strathclyde (1996–2001) and professorial fellow at Goldsmiths College London (2000 - 2002) before becoming a full-time writer.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 16, 2020
Interesting, well illustrated
July 31, 2015
There are many "letters" here written by famous (and infamous) characters in history, about 50 in all. There are MANY relevant color photos, and authentic signatures. That's good.
HOWEVER. Mr. (note the period after the Mister) McLynn has studied at Oxford and London and lectured nearly everywhere in the free world. Here, he has given us but snippets, turned sideways, of parts of pages, etc., and above all, only one page devoted to THE LETTER, (or note) which covered up the original by 90%. I found myself studying the bits of newspapers, tiny pictures, coins, etc. turned sidewise ar runn off the page. Why did Readers Digest devote the top of one page, to four of VanGough's (supposed) paintbrushes, when "[T]he letter found in the dead Vincent's pocket was three pages long"? Where is it now? Why isn't it here? Why a giant, ratty quill pen that takes up 1/3 of a page of G. Washingtom? Why a newish domed hat of office of one of the Medici's? And a 3" x 2" photo of Mary Queen of Scots Prayer book that I couldn't read????? I so wanted to be Mr. McLynn! I was turned off. I excused it all by thinking this was a Readers Digest book, it is probably heavily edited, and furthermore, this was printed in 1963 or so. And yes, one full page of a letter, note, etc. which was translated into common English -- or American.
Giant rifles, knives, syringes, small letters & memorabilia. Oh, I forgot, dumbed down for the masses.
HOWEVER. Mr. (note the period after the Mister) McLynn has studied at Oxford and London and lectured nearly everywhere in the free world. Here, he has given us but snippets, turned sideways, of parts of pages, etc., and above all, only one page devoted to THE LETTER, (or note) which covered up the original by 90%. I found myself studying the bits of newspapers, tiny pictures, coins, etc. turned sidewise ar runn off the page. Why did Readers Digest devote the top of one page, to four of VanGough's (supposed) paintbrushes, when "[T]he letter found in the dead Vincent's pocket was three pages long"? Where is it now? Why isn't it here? Why a giant, ratty quill pen that takes up 1/3 of a page of G. Washingtom? Why a newish domed hat of office of one of the Medici's? And a 3" x 2" photo of Mary Queen of Scots Prayer book that I couldn't read????? I so wanted to be Mr. McLynn! I was turned off. I excused it all by thinking this was a Readers Digest book, it is probably heavily edited, and furthermore, this was printed in 1963 or so. And yes, one full page of a letter, note, etc. which was translated into common English -- or American.
Giant rifles, knives, syringes, small letters & memorabilia. Oh, I forgot, dumbed down for the masses.
Want to Read
February 17, 2016it's a great book
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews