Letters of Note - (Hardcover)

About the Book

An updated edition of this compulsive collection of the world's most entertaining, inspiring and powerful letters, curated by the founder of the global phenomenon lettersofnote.com

US Bookscan sales of 43,000.

Book Synopsis

Letters of Note, the book based on the beloved website of the same name, became an instant classic on publication in 2013, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. This new edition sees the collection of the world's most entertaining, inspiring and unusual letters updated with fourteen riveting new missives and a new introduction from curator Shaun Usher.

From Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking 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.

Review Quotes

This
book was brilliant in written form and it's even better in audio, with a cast
of famous voices elevating hilarious, horrifying and moving historical
epistles . . . An eclectic treasure trove of letters . . . The letters are
variously life-affirming, devastating, wilfully mundane, subtly acidic and
sometimes downright creepy-- "Guardian"

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"

It is inspiring, and often sad, funny, and occasionally quite surreal-- "GQ"

Quite literally the most enjoyable volume it is possible to imagine. Every page is a marvel-- "Spectator"

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"

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

About the Author

Shaun Usher is a writer and sole custodian of the popular blogs lettersofnote.com and listsofnote.com. He has transformed both blogs into bestselling books, crowdfunded by Unbound and jointly published by Unbound and Canongate. He lives in Wilmslow with his wife Karina and their two sons. He is the author of the bestselling Letters of Note, More Letters of Note and Lists of Note.

@LettersOfNote lettersofnote.com shaunusher.com