The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time (Hardcover)

~ David Lowenherz (Author) "Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). British admiral. Nelson, whose naval career began when he was twelve, advanced to the rank of commodore in 1796..." (more)
Key Phrases: letter wad, letter courtesy, New York, United Stated, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The act of writing," proposes Lowenherz, "gives us a chance to reflect in private before exposing our heart." Hence the value of the love letter as an abiding expression of the writer's feelings in all their depth and complexity. A prominent collector and dealer in letters and historical memorabilia, Lowenherz presents letters (or fragments thereof) that collectively express the full range of amorous passion, from blind adoration to angst-ridden vituperation. Included are the romantic outpourings of celebrated writers George Sand, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald whose literary talents make their correspondence a model for any aspiring lover. Perhaps less gifted in their command of language, but certainly no less heartfelt, are selections from such notables as Harry Truman, Abigail Adams, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and an adoring Elvis fan from New Jersey. While reading through too many of these missives in one go might send some readers on an emotional roller coaster, dipping into the collection here and there will be inspiring for those who seek to command the attention of their loved ones. Not surprisingly, some of the most passionate declarations of love herein were uttered by lovers who later proved fickle. But there are some unexpected revelations, too: the ostensibly reserved George Bush, for example, is an effusive epistolary lover. Lowenherz introduces each letter with a quick, helpful biographical note about the author, and the collection as a whole reveals an infinite number of ways to say "I love you." Photos. (Jan.)Forecast: If Crown can generate enough publicity for this, it should be a cinch for literate lovers on Valentine's Day.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-A collector and dealer in letters, manuscripts, and signed photographs has gathered together an anthology showing a diverse, unusual, and not always romantic view of love. A brief introduction to each letter gives some background about the writer and the recipient. Photographs accompany some of the letters. The correspondents include such people as Harry Truman, Jack London, and Sarah Bernhardt. Reading through the letters, readers see vivid examples of how the expression and the language of love have changed over the years. When one considers how e-mail and instant messaging are changing the face of even our most intimate communications, these letters recall a different and sometimes gentler time. Reading some of them will give teens a peek into the private thoughts of people whose names they have seen in books or heard about in class. It might even inspire them to write some letters of their own.
Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (January 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812932773
• ISBN-13: 978-0812932775
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,620 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars i guess, January 9, 2005

By	char1077 (Petoskey, MI United States) - See all my reviews

I was not as impressed with this anthology as most of the other people who posted reviews. I found it a bit disconcerting there were only a fraction of letters from before the 19th century. I'm sure that was a prolific letter writing century but really, there have to be earlier letters than that. Some of the love letters weren't even love letters! The one from Michaelangelo to Vittoria Colonna was more a commentary on the weather. At least half of the letters showcased their best (which was sometimes the only) loving lines in the letter in the hard-to-read cursive at the beginning. Some of them are very wonderful letters which is why it got three stars. I found Jack Kerouac's to Sebastian Sampas to be quite entertaining and George Bush Sr.'s letter to Barbara was touching. Buy this at a discount price if you must have it, maybe you'll be more impressed than I was.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Share the Love in this Book, February 7, 2005

By	Celia A. Escalante (Miami, Fl USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time (Hardcover)

This book is a beautiful collection of deep and candid feelings of love and admiration. I hope to one day share this book with my future husband, wherever he may be. This is an inspiring book. An amazing feature is that writers, artists, composers such as Mozart, American Presidents and other famous people we incorporate ideas and generate thoughts about have part of their souls exposed to us in each page. We are all the same in God's eyes and feelings of love have always been. Nothing's new; only repeated and celebrated.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sex-Kitten.net Review, April 3, 2005

By	ADeadHeart "ADeadHeart" (CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time (Hardcover)

Many, many months ago I began to read a book called Hell Hath No Fury - Love Letters From the End of the Affair. I still have not finished it but I thought perhaps I should read something a little happier...for balance.

Sadly, while there are some good letters here, I was not blown away by true love and romance like I thought I might be. And it's not just because I'm a bitter old hag either. I don't think.

Each letter is preceded by a brief description of the time and the players...I must admit that I sometimes found that glimpse into the past a bit more enthralling then the letters themselves.

But there are some fabulous letters here...not just for the hearts and flowers, but for the history!

Included in this small collection - just a few to whet your appetite:

George Bush to Barbara Pierce, Ernest Hemingway to Mary Welsh, Beethoven to the "Immortal Beloved", Oscar Wilde to Constance Lloyd, Anais Nin to Henry Miller, Anne Sexton to Philip Legler, Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, even a letter from Lewis Carroll to a young girl he admired.

I mean, even if all the letters were as dull as rocks, which they are not, just reading them should give you a feeling of drifting, if only for a moment, into the lives and hearts of those who have long since passed.

ADeadHeart suggests this as another "leave it in the bathroom" book, to be picked up at, ahem, leisure, and read in small pieces.