To the Letter tells the story of our remarkable journey through the mail. From Roman wood chips discovered near Hadrian's Wall to the wonders and terrors of email, Simon Garfield explores how we have written to each other over the centuries and what our letters reveal about our lives.
Along the way he delves into the great correspondences of our time, from Cicero and Petrarch to Jane Austen and Ted Hughes (and John Keats, Virginia Woolf, Jack Kerouac, Anais Nin and Charles Schulz), and traces the very particular advice offered by bestselling letter-writing manuals. He uncovers a host of engaging stories, including the tricky history of the opening greeting, the ideal ingredients for invisible ink, and the sad saga of the dead letter office. As the book unfolds, so does the story of a moving wartime correspondence that shows how letters can change the course of life.
To the Letter is a wonderful celebration of letters in every form, and a passionate rallying cry to keep writing.
- ISBN10 0857868586
- ISBN13 9780857868589
- Publish Date 24 October 2013
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 22 November 2014
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Canongate Books Ltd
- Edition Main
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 464
- Language English