Customer Reviews

Letters of a Nation: A Collection of Extraordinary American Letters

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This book is a must read for anyone interested in the inner qualities of our nation's most well-known and respected figures and the lesser-known, who were the people who shaped our country. From the early settlers and our founding fathers to people of the present, this book offers a touching and rewarding look into the lives of people during war, hardships, family life, and many other aspects of life. Letter writing truly reveals the inner part of ourselves. A wonderful book!

Andrew Carroll is a quiet genius, working seven long years to bring us this most amazing collection of American literature. I originally stumbled across the paperback edition of Andrew's book in an airport bookstore and minutes later, landed in a city three hours away! I've now purchased copies for all my friends since I've never encountered a more wonderful gift. Buy this book for your mate. Buy another copy for a friend. Buy another one for your parents and be sure to get a copy for yourself. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll never be the same again. Roy H. Williams

This book is easy to read and interesting. The editors notes in front of and behind almost every letter really make the book that little bit more. I found all of the letters interesting and many of them quite moving. Many of the letters illuminated subjects about which i was familiar but did not know that little part of the story. I recommend this book for any and every one. You do not have to be American (although much of the information is perhaps from an American perspective) to feel the things that are brought forth by the reading of these letters.

This book is an ideal tool for all teachers -- as well as a wonderful resource for students of our nation's social history.

As a teacher, this book helps students to interact with history. After reading a letter, they can be required to write back to that person.

More importantly, however, these letters add depth and insight to the otherwise one-dimensional perspectives shared in our textbooks. For example, the letters by Mother Jones teach more about her convictions and activism than any textbook I have seen.

As an English ex-pat living in the USA this book was a great way to understand where the American is coming from. Mr Carrol must have deliberated for many hours to get the mix of letters right for this memorable publication. I think it should be a standard text for both American and non- American students. In these letters the ordinary people of America speak to us through the ages, bringing more understanding of their times than is possible for the average historian to unearth. The simple letters of love from soldiers about to enter the battlefield on behalf of their Nation are perhaps some of the most moving battlefield literature since Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum est. Dr Kings letter from Birmingham jail is a masterpiece. The author was judicious in setting the scene for each letter and I also commend him for that. When I finished the book I simply wanted more!

I have read and enjoyed many of the letters in this book. My favorite is the letter from Benjamin Franklin to a young friend on the benefits of relationships with older women. There seems to be one very poignant and important letter that is omitted. Although the book contains a whole section on letters of death and dying, Ronald Reagan's letter to the nation disclosing his Alzheimer's disease is not included. I am no particular fan of the former President, but like most Americans was deeply moved by his expression of courage in facing the end of his normal, mental life and of the characteristic optimism about the future of this country. The book was published in 1997. I do not know the date of the Reagan letter, but I believe it to predate the publication date sufficiently so that it could have been included. Why wasn't it? Also, where could I find a copy of the Reagan letter?