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Summary: Letters of the Century
Review: 'Letters' is an excellent read. Very insightful, provokes thought and is intellectually stimulating. The chosen letters are excellent chronicles of time and most are either funny or moving. If you like history, you'll love this book.
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Summary: Letters of the Century : America, 1900-1999
Review: 'Letters' is an excellent read. Very insightful, provokes thought and is intellectually stimulating. The chosen letters are excellent chronicles of time and most are either funny or moving. If you like history, you'll love this book.
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Summary: Mail Mania
Review: Anyone with a genuine nose for gossip and history,this is the book for you. Not only are the historic letters of political and cultural fascination but the nature of the letters themselves, really let you in on a closed personal world. The act of transcribing events with only the one person in mind ensures that indivuality and uniqueness are qualities most evident in this collection. The span of history that this book covers marks the most striking events of the century. It is a must for anyone with a serious interest in American history.
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Summary: Letters of the Century
Review: Every library should have this treasure. I can't think of any book that is as immediately accessible or as fascinating to anyone who reads it. It's a fun way for anyone to learn about America's last 100 years. It's a great gift for a teenager who may consider American history a sleeper subject; it can help put all the facts into context. I wish I had this book when I was in high school!
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Summary: Fascinating Glimpse into the 20th C.
Review: Fascinating glimpse into the 20th centuries most famous and infamous people as told through thier correspondence.
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Summary: Perfect Bathroom Reading, Perfect Holiday Gift
Review: Great bathroom read and it's thick enough (760 pages!) to count as a legitimate gift. All of the letters are interesting and some absolutely take your breath away (1934 letter from the head of the NAACP trying unsuccessfully to stop a lynching in Florida). Some are hilarious (Groucho Marx writing the Warner Brothers about "A Night in Casablanca" after they threatened him because of similarities to "Casablanca"). I've already given this book as a present to friends, relatives, and my kids' teachers (great gift to teachers!) and have heard nothing but raves. What a treat to find this meticulously researched and beautifully written jewel of a book. Letters of the Century definitely has "legs" (and a cute nose). I expect it to be on the best seller list for a long time to come.
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Summary: A different look at the history of 20th century America
Review: I concur with most of the points addressed by earlier reviewers, and found this book to be one of the best about history that I've read. Many of the letters were eye-opening, detailing facets of America's history of which I was unaware. As an example, I found the letter detailing the My Lai Massacre both illuminating and horrifying. The letter from Roosevelt to 'The President of The United States in 1956' honoring the first American soldier to give his life in WWII is one of my favorites, along with the letter to the Warner Brothers from Groucho Marx that an earlier reviewer mentioned. A few additional thoughts:1. The choices of letters from the 1990s were the weakest of any decade. I suppose that's to be expected in the days of e-mail, chatrooms, and the demise of the letter writer, but I'm sure there were better selections than one detailing the results of testing performed on the stained blue dress worn by Monica Lewinsky, or the letter to a Star Trek fan. 2. The majority of the letters related to negative aspects of the century, which while powerful to read made it a bit depressing to read more than 30-50 pages at a sitting. As the various forms of media have always realized, bad news makes for better stories than good news. I wish, however, that there would have been more letters evincing triumphs, humor, and/or optimism. Such letters were in evidence, but not in abundance. 3. I agree with an earlier reviewer that noted the liberal bias of the letters selected. There appeared to be an inordinate amount of 'coming out' selections and letters voicing disapproval of the System. They were important letters, however, that gave me a different view of the country's past. 4. One of my favorite history-related books is A People's History of The United States by Zinn. This book of letters reminded me of that text, required in a college history class. Overall, I strongly recommend this collection to anyone interested in the history of 20th century America.
Rating:
Summary: A different look at the history of 20th century America
Review: I concur with most of the points addressed by earlier reviewers, and found this book to be one of the best about history that I've read. Many of the letters were eye-opening, detailing facets of America's history of which I was unaware. As an example, I found the letter detailing the My Lai Massacre both illuminating and horrifying. The letter from Roosevelt to 'The President of The United States in 1956' honoring the first American soldier to give his life in WWII is one of my favorites, along with the letter to the Warner Brothers from Groucho Marx that an earlier reviewer mentioned. A few additional thoughts: 1. The choices of letters from the 1990s were the weakest of any decade. I suppose that's to be expected in the days of e-mail, chatrooms, and the demise of the letter writer, but I'm sure there were better selections than one detailing the results of testing performed on the stained blue dress worn by Monica Lewinsky, or the letter to a Star Trek fan. 2. The majority of the letters related to negative aspects of the century, which while powerful to read made it a bit depressing to read more than 30-50 pages at a sitting. As the various forms of media have always realized, bad news makes for better stories than good news. I wish, however, that there would have been more letters evincing triumphs, humor, and/or optimism. Such letters were in evidence, but not in abundance. 3. I agree with an earlier reviewer that noted the liberal bias of the letters selected. There appeared to be an inordinate amount of 'coming out' selections and letters voicing disapproval of the System. They were important letters, however, that gave me a different view of the country's past. 4. One of my favorite history-related books is A People's History of The United States by Zinn. This book of letters reminded me of that text, required in a college history class. Overall, I strongly recommend this collection to anyone interested in the history of 20th century America.
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Summary: An Unexpected Delight
Review: I did not expect to like this book. I had avoided reading it for some time, thinking it would be dull, pedantic, not worth the effort it might take to read it, and generally unpleasant. I am so glad I found out I was wrong. It's actually enthralling, well-done, and a worthwhile addition to anyone's library. I am not generally fond of ultra-personal non-fiction, or of the twentieth century in general, but _Letters of the Century_ overcame all of my doubts. The explanatory paragraphs and notes are extremely helpful; the letters are generally of medium length, diverse in subject matter, and uniformly fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected Delight
Review: I did not expect to like this book. I had avoided reading it for some time, thinking it would be dull, pedantic, not worth the effort it might take to read it, and generally unpleasant. I am so glad I found out I was wrong. It's actually enthralling, well-done, and a worthwhile addition to anyone's library. I am not generally fond of ultra-personal non-fiction, or of the twentieth century in general, but _Letters of the Century_ overcame all of my doubts. The explanatory paragraphs and notes are extremely helpful; the letters are generally of medium length, diverse in subject matter, and uniformly fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.
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