Shaun Usher is the founder of the blog-based archives Letters of Note and Lists of Note, which have inspired books of the same name edited by him. He lives in the UK.
Holiday Gift Guide pick Take a break from email and text
messaging and dive into this impressive collection of letters
instead. History lovers and bibliophiles alike will relish poring
through 125 letters written by authors, scientists, celebrities,
and ordinary people. Like it's 2014 predecessor, each entry
includes a replica of the letter in its original form, a
transcription (if necessary), and background information to provide
context. Highlights include a British professor's cover letter to
Albus Dumbledore, requesting to be considered for the position of
Defense of the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry (and the kind rejection from J.K. Rowling, in
character as Professor Dumbledore), a moving letter from Abraham
Lincoln to a young girl whose father was killed in the Civil War,
and David Bowie's response to his first piece of American fan mail.
Relive history with your loved ones with this endlessly
entertaining compilation.
-Real Simple
Starred ReviewThis follow up to 2014's collection offers
newcomers and fans of the series another outstanding compendium of
correspondence from celebrities, U.S. presidents, and ordinary
citizens. Like its predecessor, each entry includes replicate of
the letter in its original form next to a transcription of it
content as well as contextual information. The breadth of the
collection is impressive all sorts of correspondences, ranging from
record producer Steve Albini's 1992 letter to the members of the
band Nirvana about their upcoming collaboration on the In Utero
album to Abraham Lincoln's 1862 touching letter to a young girl
whose father was killed in the Civil War. The letters written by
ordinary people are just as noteworthy: an educated slave's
farewell letter to his wife after they were separated by after he
was sold in 1858 and a soldier's firsthand account of the Christmas
truce between British and German troops in 1914 are just some of
the heartwrenching inclusions. Happily, there are just as many
lighthearted entries as well: there's a University of Sussex
professor's cheeky cover letter for the Defence Against the Dark
Arts teaching post at Hogwarts, Ayn Rand's 1966 letter to the
editor of Cat Fancy magazine, and an illustrated story Beatrix
Potter sent to the five-year-old son of her friend and former
governess. This fantastic collection of over 125 letters is
endlessly entertaining.
-Publishers Weekly
Beautifully designed and best dipped into, it is engaging,
eclectic, and geekily and gleefully enthusiastic. First class.
-Sunday Times (UK)
Books promise pleasure, too, as I've been reminded within the pages
of Letters of Note, Volume 2, a new follow-up to Shaun Usher's 2014
collection of wise, funny and poignant letters from around the
world and throughout the ages.
-The Advocate
Funny, shocking and poignant, More Letters of Note must be one of
the most entertaining books of the year.
-Financial Times (UK)
Named one of The 29 Most Stunning Coffee Table Books of The Last
Five Years
-Refinery29
Nothing, the book suggests (and proves), can give us such instant,
vivid and intimate glimpses into such a wide range of emotions as
letters do. On virtually every page, we're plunged deep into the
heart of the writer, whether joyfully, painfully or, quite often,
disconcertingly
-The Daily Mail Online (UK)
Spellbinding
-Absolutely Magazine
The books in this series are always of the highest quality, both in
content and in production and materials. These are the kinds of
books that will live on your bookshelf for the rest of your life,
and get passed down to your history- and culture-loving heirs. They
are some of the most approachable ways to learn about history and
culture, and really pull at your emotions, lifting your spirits,
making you laugh, or creating a somber tone.
-GeekDad
This book is a serious bit of kit...if you don't find at least
something that interests you in this book you are not a proper
human being . (And unless you find almost all of it gripping I
can't imagine having a conversation with you.)
-Spectator
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