The 50 Greatest Letters from America's Wars - Hardcover

Lowenherz, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0812932757 ISBN 13: 9780812932751

Publisher: Crown, 2002

Synopsis

A touching and inspirational tribute to the human spirit, The 50 Greatest Letters from America’s Wars reveals our nation’s struggles and triumphs in soldiers’ letters from the Revolution to the operations in Afghanistan.

The 50 Greatest Letters from America’s Wars is more than just a collection of letters recounting the experiences of servicemen and -women. While they are simply written, they speak with power and eloquence about the human face of history.

From members of the Continental Army to today’s Special Forces, the authors of these letters are frontline soldiers, nurses, prisoners of war, spies, and generals—a cross section of the men and women who fought, and sometimes sacrificed their lives, in this nation’s wars. It also tells the stories—in the first person—of their families, friends, and sweethearts.

Inspiring and intriguing, this book is filled with the voices of ordinary heroes, voices that speak of courage, love of country and family, and sacrifice in the name of freedom. Now more than ever, these letters show us what matters most.

About this title

About the Author

DAVID H. LOWENHERZ is also the editor of The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time. A prominent collector and dealer in autographed letters, manuscripts, and signed photographs, he lives in New York City.

Reviews

Here are two of a growing multitude of works collecting letters written home by military personnel. (Thank you, Tom Brokaw.) One must bear in mind that, unlike diaries, such letters were heavily censored for content, purged of such information as descriptions of battles or current or future locations. Thus, as shown by literary agent Adler's work, they are not always scintillating reading. Written home during World War II by soldiers, nurses, pilots, and doctors from over 20 Allied and Axis countries, the letters collected by Adler are often without much emotional content; descriptions of scenery, customs, local foods, and weather predominate. A few are truly interesting pieces, like the letter from a nun describing what it was like living through an atomic bomb attack. Nevertheless, the work does give the feel of what soldiers' letters were like during wartime. All told, a readable volume but not a necessary purchase. Lowenherz (The 50 Greatest Love Letters) has collected letters written by politicians, soldiers, and civilians in all American wars from the Revolution to Afghanistan. He has chosen well. A letter from Abraham Lincoln defends his Emancipation Proclamation, General Sherman defends the evacuation of Atlanta, and even John F. Kennedy's famous carved message on a coconut is included. This excellent sampling is recommended for all public libraries. (Both works include photographs of the letter authors, when available.)-Richard Nowicki, Emerson H.S., Buffalo, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0812932757
• ISBN 13: 9780812932751
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256