Not a page-turner, necessarily, but I would definitely like to use some aspects of this book in my AP English curriculum.

A highly interesting selection of letters from history to bring focus to certain areas of life, fascinating and in places heavy. Not one to devour in one sitting but one I dipped back into over time!

*Received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review*
This was an interesting read for sure. All of these letters gave an insight into their characters.

Written in History – Simon Sebag Montefiore

Most of our modern history relies on the written word. Mostly we read the words of the victors, the burnished version of events.
This anthology approaches history from an intriguing angle. Under titles ranging form “Courage” and “Discovery”, to “Folly” “War” and “Disaster”, the author reveals to us, in the words of those who drove the seminal events of their time, the human behind the historical face.
There is a wide range of people here, from virtually all walks of life, though necessarily there is a greater proportion of politicians and similar leaders (kings, empresses, etc).
Some names are instantly recognisable (Churchill writing to Roosevelt, and vice versa), and others are faces behind brown photoframes, known only to their family, like the brave but doomed RAF fighter pilot Lt David Hughes.
There is a huge span of time involved as well, dating from Ramses the Great, through Pliny the Younger, Machiavelli, Henry VIII to the modern era - Hitler, Stalin, Gandhi and Donald Trump.
Letter-writing is a dying, if not a dead art. Who now could write letters of such depth and passion, that could make your correspondent fall in love with you before you ever met them? Or a harrowing farewell from a wife to a husband, in the shadow of the Auschwitz death camp?
Lenin is exposed as having the potential to be as much a tyrant as his successor, Mozart’s somewhat infantile behaviour gives colour to the life of this genius, and Michelangelo is a grumpy man in the midst of creating perfection.
What I Liked:
• The context the author gives around the letter, or the writer
• The gamut of human emotions that are run, giving life to the dead voices
• The various categorisations gave some good structure
What I Didn’t like:
• Despite the title, not all these letters changed the world, so it is a little misleading – however, they may change your view of the writer.
Overall:
An enjoyable read, with great contextual references and some penetrating insights into important world leaders. It is probably more suited to a more serious history buff rather than a general history reader, though. I would recommend it.

When I was a kid, I always felt like we had tons of "coffee table books". Those books that you don't read in one go but that you peek into when you've sat down with a cup of coffee and when you're looking for 10 minutes of quiet. Anything can be a coffee table book. A book on art, a puzzle book, maybe a comic strip or even a collection of letters. As such, I felt right at home in Written in History. Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Vintage and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Sebag Montefiore isn't the first to recognize the power of personal letters. Alongside many published diaries, you can find the published letters of countless of authors and important figures in bookstores. Reading Written in History I was reminded of how much I loved writing letters and postcard when I was younger. Writing emails doesn't have quite the same feel to it since it somehow, and illogically, feels more ... impermanent. As such, Written in History is something of an ode to letter writing, celebrating what some call a dying art. This collection shows how much of ourselves we show in our letters and how our writing can be the start and end of something. This is also why it feels like a "coffee table book", because Written in History lets you dip into all kinds of feelings, whether it's excitement, sadness or nostalgia. It doesn't require a lot of attention and focus, but it is the perfect starting point for quiet contemplation or exciting conversation.

The only thing to really complain about with Written in History is that it's subtitle is a little dramatic and misleading. In their own way, many of those who wrote the letters in this collection did change the world, but these letters themselves often didn't. Most of the letters in this collection are fascinating. Although not all readers will find each letter equally fascinating, there is something for everyone here. Written in History is divided into different sections, such as 'Love', 'Family' and even 'Goodbye'. It's a nice way to group together letters from across the ages. We get a sassy response from a Pharaoh, a frankly disgusting if hilarious letter from Mozart, Churchill's lovely farewell letter to his wife, and even Trump's letter to Kim Jong-Il. Some of the letters showed me a whole new side of these people, usually for the better but occasionally also for the worse. Sebag Montefiore prefaces each letter with a short introduction, relaying some of the context of the letter and background to those that wrote it. His writing style is very pleasant and this made me curious to seek out his other books.

Written in History is a lovely collection of letters from across the ages. There will be something for everyone here and some letters are truly touching.

I voluntarily read this for an honest review


I've read some of the author's work before so knew I would enjoy

This is a collection of letters from history. Bit of a history freak myself so I found these fascinating. All the material was new to me so found this engrossing to say the least.

If you are interested in history you will enjoy

highly recommend

Written in History is a diverse collection of letters by painters, poets, politicians and even popes. Through the words of these notable figures we are given a glimpse of what life was like in a number of different eras , from ancient civilizations to the modern day, and since the letters are a mix of those intended for public consumption to those of a more private nature , the cross section gives quite a diverse overview. The author has broken the collection down, not by chronology but into a range of themes like love, family, courage, discovery ,destruction, friendship, folly and farewell. While some of the letters are formal, such as the letter from Elizabeth 1 to her half sister Mary, others are almost shocking in their informality such as a rather ribald ditty from Michelangelo about his experiences painting the Sistine Chapel. Some are merely the brief snippets that remain of an ancient text, while others are examples of a more lengthy correspondence. Among the most touching and surprising was a letter from Ghandi to Hitler, written in 1940 and the truly beautiful farewell note Leonard Cohen sent to his former love, as she lay dying in 2016. Before each letter included in the collection, the author explains both the historical context and the relationship between the correspondents in a clear and concise manner that greatly added to my enjoyment of the book. I would recommend this as a book to dip in and out of , rather than one to be read from cover to cover.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher , all opinions are my own,

Interesting concept, flat delivery. Came across slightly boring. Nice to have on hand for reference, but no narrative. Not my favorite.

I absolutely love this collection of letters. It had some from Ancient civilizations like Egypt. It is beautifully put together. It was interesting reading all the different letters that impacted history.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

This was a great and varied collection of letters from history. The oldest ones (ancient Egypt and Assyrian, Babylonian) were especially cool. I enjoyed the love letters as well as the friendship and political correspondences. I am a great admirer of the author and enjoyed his introduction and background to each letter. I will say that I would have preferred are more tightly themed collection instead of this general survey. However, I was able to finish it without boredom and in a reasonable amount of time which is more than I can say for other collections of letters I’ve read recently.