How they said it Book

A delightful collection of memorable letters from the pens of the famous.In her million-plus copy bestseller, How to Say It, Rosalie Maggio took readers through the rudiments of effective letter-writing. Now the acclaimed author lets 200 remarkable missives speak for themselves. Showcasing pithy, charming, and poignant letters penned by historical, political, and literary figures, Maggio makes one rule clear: the ultimate hallmarks of any good letter are clarity, sincerity, and personality. Arranged in twenty-five categories, letters cover every type of social and business situation, including thanks, apology, congratulations, invitations, get well, regrets fundraising, and job application. Readers will revel at Napoleon's letter of complaint about the ugly porcelain dinner service he ordered as a gift for his wife, P.T. Barnum's inquiry about obtaining an Egyptian mummy for his circus, Abraham Lincoln's words of condolence to the mother of four sons who died in the War Between the States, Albert Schweitzer's heartfelt letter of application for a position as a missionary doctor, Groucho Marx's lighthearted get-well note to T S Eliot and E. B. White's classically concise letter of refusal: "Thanks for your letter inviting me to join the committee of the Arts and Sciences for Eisenhower. I must decline, for secret reasons." Complete with an appendix reinforcing the principles of proper letter-writing, How They Said It will captivate anyone impressed by the power and the wonder of a really good letter.