100 Letters That Changed the World

Description

The 100 letters collected in this beautifully illustrated book demonstrate the power of the written word to inspire, astonish and entertain. The letters range from ink inscribed tablets that vividly describe life in the Roman Empire to remarkable last wills and testaments, passionate outpourings of love and despair, and succinctnotes with deadly consequences. Entries include: A resume from Leonardo da Vinci, with barely a mention of his artistic talents; Henry VIII's love letters to Anne Boleyn, which eventually led to the dissolution of the monasteries; Beatrix Potter's correspondence with a friend's son that introduced the character of Peter Rabbit; SOS telegrams from the Titanic; Abraham Lincoln's letter that contradicted his fight against slavery; a legal letter marking the end of the Beatles; Emile Zola's open letter ("J'accuse!"); the scrawled note that brought about Oscar Wilde's downfall; as well as famous last words from Virginia Woolf to Kurt Kobain.

Colin Salter is the co-author of Everything You Need to Know About Inventions. He is a history and science writer with a fascination for how things work, and how they used to work. He has written about everything, including the private lives of marine gastropods. His contributions to Chambers' Biographical Dictionary include the entries for 500 living scientists.

'An accessible, visually appealing overview of some of history's most crucial correspondence' * History Revealed *