A Book of Condolences: Classic Letters of Bereavement [Paperback]

Rachel Harding (Author, Editor), Mary Dyson (Author, Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0826411681 | ISBN-13: 978-0826411686 | Publication Date: April 1999

The tender subject of the loss of a loved one is portrayed in this selection of letters of sympathy exchanged between historically famous men and women and their family and friends. Rachel Harding and Mary Dyson have assembled the personal letters and their replies of such figures as Cicero, Coleridge, Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Mann, Aldous Huxley, C.S. Lewis, George Bernard Shaw, Jessica Mitford, and more than 50 others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Continuum Intl Pub Group (Sd) (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826411681
• ISBN-13: 978-0826411686
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,792,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, October 21, 2008

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Ava Torre-Bueno (San Diego) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Book of Condolences: Classic Letters of Bereavement (Paperback)

A Book of Condolences is both useful and thought provoking. It contains letters of condolence from famous people through history to either other famous people, or to just folks (Lincoln's letters to the mothers of the war dead for example).
It is useful in that we have lost this sincere art, and having beautiful and well written letters to steal material from when we feel most at a loss for words is a relief! It is thought provoking in that by reading the book from beginning to end, you can see the evolution of people's thoughts and feelings about death from Roman times to the beginning of the 20th century.
Most awe inspiring are the letters from the Founding Fathers to their loved ones expressing sympathy for their losses. Read Washington's letter to his wife on the death of her sister to see how intelligent, caring, and full of FEELING the people who created this country could be. (Not to deny that they were confused and wrong about slavery -- just that where they weren't confused, they were brilliant).