Lyttelton Hart-Davies Letters 1955-1962: A Selection [Hardcover]

George Lyttelton (Author), Rupert Hart-Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

First publication of a one–volume sampler from a “splendidly and unrepentantly civilised” (David Holloway) correspondence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A reminder of what great letter–writing was all about.” -- Ion Trewin

From the Publisher

The letters exchanged between George Lyttelton, a teacher at Eton, and his former pupil, Rupert Hart–Davis, a respected publisher and man of letters, originally appeared in six acclaimed volumes. Typical of the praise those volumes received, is this encomium from Philip Ziegler: “If the twentieth century has to put forward one champion by which it will be judged, [these] letters would not be an unworthy candidate.” Now the “compulsive readability” (THE OBSERVER) of the Lyttleton Hart–Davis correspondence, its bookish, stylish, and congenial conversation, can be enjoyed in a judicious selection.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Akadine Pr (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585790400
• ISBN-13: 978-1585790401
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,016,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious!, August 5, 2003

By 

Aloysius (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lyttelton Hart-Davies Letters 1955-1962: A Selection (Hardcover)

Culled from the six famous volumes, this selection is superbly edited and wonderfully engaging. It would be the ideal bedside book were the correspondence not so addictive. I couldn't resist taking it up to fill any free moment. One could do far worse than eavesdrop on this charming friendship. In fact, to read even just this selection is to form a lasting friendship with the correspondents--who will recommend many worthwhile reads.

Warning: I expect that, like me, you will be compelled to purchase the original volumes (available with slight difficulty from Academy Chicago Publishers). In all, a delicious read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten Stars!, November 5, 2011

By 

kalanamak (Pacific NW) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lyttelton Hart-Davies Letters 1955-1962: A Selection (Hardcover)

I have to confess I am only half way through, and it is late at night, but I cannot go to bed without telling **someone** how wonderful this book is. I think it rather like developing a perversion in old age: such a passion is a bit odd, but you no longer care what others think of you, and you're thrilled out of your knickers to have such a new delight so late in life.

I'm actually galloping through the book, the sooner to start back at the beginning with some afternoons to myself and a fast connection to the internet, the better to google each and every reference, to look up every unknown word, and to learn more about my old friends Johnson and Tennyson and Homer and Blunden and Duff Cooper (and on and on) plus getting to know a whole host of new friends.

Every page holds an outloud laugh, an "I must tell X about this one", an "oh, let me email that to my brother", a new association, and a bit of bitter sweetness. Even if there is nothing on the page bitter sweet, you feel it anyway that these fine men are gone, and never the chance to rub elbows with them. Alas, I am not as clever as they, and cannot find the words to convey all the merry ups and downs the letters take you on.

And best of all, I have the full volumes to look forward to and collect.

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining correspondence, December 28, 2005

By 

W. Elliott (TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lyttelton Hart-Davies Letters 1955-1962: A Selection (Hardcover)

Entertaining correspondence between publisher and literary biographer, Rupert Hart-Davis, and his old Eton English master, George Lyttelton. This is a selection of letters between the two men from the originally published six volumes in the 1970s. At that time, the correspondence was hailed as a great civilized work, but this was probably heaping too much praise on it. The work was later spoofed in Craig Brown's Marsh Marlowe Letters. Many of the letters contain interesting comments on writers which reflected their great love of literature. The letters also contain gossip about friends and comments about famous figures. This was an enjoyable read, but it is recommended that the letters be "dipped" into periodically rather than reading them straight through.