The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time

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.

Previously, I reviewed David Lowenherz' latest book (THE 50 GREATEST LETTERS FROM AMERICA'S WARS) . . . I liked itso much that I felt compelled to find and read his first book,THE 50 GREATES LOVE LETTERS OF ALL TIME . . . ifanything, it was even better!It is one thing to read an e-mail, fax or instant message; it isquite something different to read an actual love letter that hasbeen put down in writing . . . but best of all, not only do youget to read the letter, you also get to find out what happenedafterwards to both the writer and recipient via the author'scommentary.I liked the various groupings that were used: tender love, crazyfor you, passionate prose, painful separations, fire and ice, andforbidden love . . . also, I enjoyed the diverse range of writersthat were chosen, ranging from Mozart to George Bush and including such other notables as Elizabeth Barrett Browning,Harry Truman, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemmingway,Virginia Woolf, Alfred Dreyfus, Oscar Wilde, James Thurber,and Frank Lloyd Wright.It would be hard to choose any one letter as "best," so ratherthan try, let me just share the following correspondence written by Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan as a tributeto their loving and supportive relationship:March 4, 1981Dear First LadyAs Pres. of the U.S., it is my honor & privilege to cite you for service aboveand beyond the call of duty in that you have made one man (me) the mosthappy man in the world for 29 years.Beginning in 1951, Nancy Davis, seeing the plight of a lonely man who didn'tknow how lonely he really was, determined to rescue him from a completelyempty life. Refusing to be rebuffed by a certain amount of stupidity on hispart she ignored his somewhat slow response. With patience & tendernessshe gradually brought the light of understanding to his darkened obtusemind and he discovered the joy of loving someone, with all his heart.Nancy Davis then went on to bring him happiness for the next 29 years as Nancy Davis Reagan for which she has received & will continue to receive his undying devotion forever & ever.She has done this in spite of the fact that he still can't find the words to tell her how lost he would be without her. He sits in the Oval office fromwhich he can see (if he scrooches down) her window and feels warm allover just knowing she is there.The above is the statement of the man who benefited from her act of heroism.The below is his signature.Ronald Reagan-Pres. of the U.S.P.S. He-I mean, I love and adore you.

This is a glorious book. Of course, you have to love little things like history and literature and romance to really enjoy it. But even if you only adore one out of those three, you'll enjoy peeking into the initimate lives of these letter writers.There are just over four dozen wonderful letters to indulge in. Love shared from knowns and unknowns. You can melt your heart with the words of Harry Truman to Bess Wallace or light a fire in your soul with words to Philip Legler from Anne Sexton.Take yourself back in time to your own first love with Franz Kafka's passion, ". . .for hours on end my head hums with the desire to hear the name Felice."Too corny for you? OK. I can accept that. Maybe you're not a mushy kind-a sort, that's cool. But everyone can identify with the kind of love expressed by Horatio Nelson to Emma Hamilton, "I hope to have letters from you who I hold dearer than any other person in this world." We ALL hold someone dearer than all others--don't we?Can't we all understand George Bush's words to Barbara Bush? ". . .To know that you love me means my life." It's all here: everything from "Tender Love" to "Crazy for You" love. There's "Passionate Prose" and "Painful Separations." There's "Fire and Ice" and "Forbidden Love." These words, that were once intended for only one other person in the world to read, have a wide appeal. Because love is worldwide. Some of these letters are a difficult read, I won't fool you. But the other 99% are charming and elegant, worthy of a slow read.My favorite part (you knew I'd have to share it) are seven passionate words penned by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to her brother. She's speaking to him about her husband Robert Browning. ". . .he loved me with no ordinary affection." Heavy sigh. . . Finally, Oscar Wilde wrote to Constance Wilde, "The air is full of the music of your voice, my soul and body seem no longer mine, but mingled in some exquisite ecstasy with yours."Wow! Where can you find a better midnight read than this stuff?

In this compilation we are treated to the pleasure of not only interesting love letters but also to glimpses of the inner thoughts of the luminaries who penned them. Each of these well-chosen letters comes equipped with a short text describing the situation surrounding the letter and the personal stories of the people involved. These descriptive texts illuminate the letters, allowing us to share in the joys and pains of the authors and recipients. I found the personal, tender and sometimes comic tone of the letters to be a delightfully balanced read, never becoming too dark, too frivolous, too contemporary or too ancient. By the end of the book one really feels like one's been taken on the great roller coaster ride of love and we're reminded how terrifyingly wonderful it can be.The book is a must have not only for the literary and historically minded set who will be wowed by the interesting personal details and historical situations, but also for anyone who wants to re-experience the joys (and pains) of love. It' makes a great gift too!

Rather than bore the reader with a parade of cute love letters, David Lowenherz's volume The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time includes the full range of emotions of a passionate relationship. The book is divided into the sections Tender Love, Crazy for You, Passionate Prose, Painful Separations, Fire and Ice and Forbidden Love. From a desperate letter of serial monogamist Ernest Hemingway to an irate letter of Frank Lloyd Wright this volume will surprise and entertain readers of all interests. These letters provide a surprising glimpse into the private lives of such luminaries as Voltaire, anarchist Emma Goldman, Elizabeth I, Benjamin Franklin and Lewis Carroll. And Lowenherz carefully puts each letter into context bringing out the intent and spirit of each. The volume also includes many illustrations of the letters, their writers and the recipients.