The history of the world as witnessed through the most inspiring,
heartfelt, and impactful letters ever written.
For the legions of readers who enjoyed 100 Diagrams that Changed the
World and A History of the World in 100 Objects, here is a new take
on understanding world history through the most important, impassioned,
and world-changing letters ever penned.
The selected letters demonstrate the power of the written word to
inspire, astonish, and entertain and range from ink-inscribed tablets
vividly describing life in ancient Rome to remarkable last wills and
testaments, passionate outpourings of love and despair, and diplomatic
notes with deadly consequences.
Included are entries that span history: Leonardo da Vinci's résumé with
barely a mention of his artistic talents; Henry VIII's love letters to
Anne Boleyn; Beatrix Potter's correspondence with a friend's son that
inspired Peter Rabbit; the scrawled note that brought about Oscar
Wilde's downfall; SOS telegrams from the Titanic; the telegram informing
the president about the bombing of Pearl Harbor; Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s open letter from a Birmingham jail; Nelson Mandela's letters from
prison; as well as notable suicide notes or famous last words by
cultural luminaries such as Virginia Woolf, Baudelaire, and Kurt Cobain.
