To the Letter: A Curious History of Correspondence

Description

Every letter contains a miniature story, and here are some of the greatest. From Oscar Wilde's unconventional method of using the mail to cycling enthusiast Reginald Bray's quest to post himself, Simon Garfield uncovers a host of stories that capture the enchantment of this irreplaceable art (with a supporting cast including Pliny the Younger, Ted Hughes, Virginia Woolf, Napoleon Bonaparte, Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen, David Foster Wallace and the Little Red-Haired Girl). There is also a brief history of the letter-writing guide, with instructions on when and when not to send fish as a wedding gift. And as these accounts unfold, so does the tale of a compelling wartime correspondence that shows how the simplest of letters can change the course of a life. To the Letter is a wonderful celebration of letters in every form, and a passionate rallying cry to keep writing.

Simon Garfield is the author of fourteen acclaimed books of non-fiction including On the Map, Just My Type and The Wrestling. His edited diaries from the Mass Observation Archive, Our Hidden Lives, We Are At War and Private Battles, were bestsellers, and his study of AIDS in Britain, The End of Innocence, won the Somerset Maugham prize. He lives in London and St Ives, Cornwall.

* Garfield being Garfield, there's a rich cull of curiosities ... A shining success -- John Carey The Sunday Times * Wonderful ... One of the things which makes this book so attractive is Garfield's enjoyment of his subject. He writes with a winning informality and freshness -- Diana Athill Literary Review * A wonderfully elegant history Observer * A brilliant account of a lost art ... funny letters, sad letters, pompous letters, famous letters, farewell letters, saucy letters, letters from soldiers and letters from swindlers: they are all here -- Craig Brown Mail on Sunday * A hymn of praise to twenty centuries of letter-writing. It spurs a desire to reach once more for the pad and envelope...Garfield's knowledge is wide and his enthusiasm matchless -- Libby Purves The Times * Excellent, amusing and moving Financial Times * Superb Independent on Sunday * Garfield is an elegant and perceptive writer ... his judgment is immaculate Daily Mail * To the Letter thrills and engages most when it cuts to the core of human relationships, showing personalities pinned to the page in all their painful imperfections Observer * Delightful Daily Mail * An informative lament for the mail Metro * From wooden tablets dug up at the ancient Roman garrison Vindolanda, UK, to the epistolary gems of novelist Virginia Woolf, this is a billet-doux to two millennia of the impassioned, often life-changing power of private correspondence Nature * Garfield has a keen eye for what makes a good letter ... he is a knowledgeable guide to his subject Scotsman * A Paean to the dying art of letter writing...fascinating...moving and illuminating Herald Scotland * Wonderful Woman & Home * A love letter to what is already an outdated mode of communication ... Cantering through two millennia of letters with Garfield as our guide, it's fun to spot the things that never change Guardian * A well-timed, engrossing study of epistolary art through the ages ... an inspiring read The Lady * Stuffed with marvellous anecdotes, fascinating historical tidbits and excerpts from epistolary masters both ancient and modern ... infectious New York Times * An addictive account of a dying artform Red * A book to recommend Spectator * A shining tribute to the dying art of letter writing The Sunday Times * In digging through two centuries of letters, Garfield unearths a heap of epistolary ruins ... fascinating ... Quirky stories abound Washington Post * Garfield has impressively condensed 2000 years and a lot of wonderful characters into an accessible, comprehensively-researched book bubbling with his customary wit and joy in the absurd ... A fascinating book We Love This Book * An endlessly informative book from one of Britain's best non-fiction writers Reader's Digest * Fresh and informative throughout. It would be difficult for anyone to read this book without finding something they enjoyed or found incredibly interesting. I would recommend this book to anybody Literature Works * Wonderful ... vivid, witty and moving Sunday Business Post * Utterly compelling and surprisingly moving ... Full of fascinating facts and wonderful stories Sunday Business Post