Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of the National Archives [Hardcover]

Dwight Young (Author), Brian Williams (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

This carefully selected collection of letters, spanning from the earliest days of the Republic to the present, were pulled from the extensive holdings of the National Archives. Archivists searched through hundreds of letters held throughout their network, which includes all of the Presidential libraries. Dear Mr. President reproduces 75 letters from everyday citizens and some quite famous people: John Glenn, Elvis Presley, Walt Disney, Ho Chi Minh, Nikita Kruschev, Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck, Robert Kennedy, and many more.

An introduction by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and essays by Dwight Young illuminate and expand the tenor of the times in which the letters were written. Full-size facsimiles of the letters are reproduced with transcripts of the text for easy reading, and letters are grouped thematically: Civil rights, the cold war, physical fitness, joblessness, World War II, the space race, western expansion, among many other topics.

Dear Mr. President is a charming walk through American history through the eyes of ordinary and extraordinary people writing to their President.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dwight Young has been actively involved in historic preservation for almost 30 years. He joined the staff of the National Trust in 1977, and moved to Trust headquarters in Washington in 1992. He is the author of Alternatives to Sprawl,and Saving America's Treasures. He is best known as author of the "Back Page" feature in Preservation magazine. In 2003, the National Trust published a collection of these essays titled Road Trips Through History.

Brian Williams became the anchor of NBC Nightly News in 2004, taking over for Tom Brokaw, the first such announced change in major network news anchors in two decades. He was the NBC News Chief White House correspondent, and was the anchor and managing editor of the Saturday edition of NBC Nightly News for six years. Williams has been awarded three Emmys, and in over 20 years of broadcasting, Williams has reported from 23 countries on countless stories of national and international importance.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792241851
• ISBN-13: 978-0792241850
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.8 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,126,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, fun book, December 8, 2005

By 

Little Miss Cutey (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of the National Archives (Hardcover)

This is a great book of a collection of letters written over the years to various presidents. National Geographic looked over the national archives to find the most memorable letters written. There are serious letters in here, such as Jackie Robinson to Dwight D Eisenhower to take action on Civil Rights, from relatives of people serving in Pearl Harbour and some cute letters from a lot of kids. There is even a letter from Fidel Castro when he was 12 to F.D.R asking for a $10 bill. In here is a letter from one kid called Brian Williams hoping to one day go to the White House. Well he is now the NBC Nightly News reader and over his journalistic career, has gone to the White House many many times (he also wrote the forward). This is a fun read - one that's moving, humourous, touching and really interesting. (Elvis fans - theres also a letter from him in here too).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The National Archives Opens Its Treasure Trove, June 24, 2006

By 

Bart King (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of the National Archives (Hardcover)

Dear Prospective Book Buyer,

Anyone who's ever visited the National Archives temple in D.C. has probably wondered what unknown treasures are hidden away in its recesses. In that respect, this book -- a collection of letters written to a variety of presidents (and their wives) -- is a genuine gem.

Reading through these, I was struck at the excellent job the book's editors had done in getting a wide variety of material from throughout our nation's history. In emotional tone they range from children asking for help with cleaning their rooms ("My mom says it's a federal disaster zone") to bereaved mothers sharing poignant remembrances about their sons lost to war. Kudos also to Dwight Young for his informative and often witty commentary that accompanies and illuminates the manuscripts.

Particularly interesting is the variety of stationery used throughout the years, all faithfully reproduced here in their original form, with accompanying translations when necessary. Letters are written in crayon, or beautiful calligraphy, or are carved into wood blocks, and one is even painted. One of my favorites was a witty letter from Churchill to FDR typed on the British prime minister's spare and elegant letterhead.

Best regards,
Bart King
Portland, Oregon

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dear Mr. President; Letters to the Oval Office, March 16, 2006

By 

Donna Glasgow - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of the National Archives (Hardcover)

A great insight to the culture, personalities, and word usage in the early history of the United States.