‘Par excellence a book for an evening of beautiful browsing’ – The Times

‘A richly desirable book … a book to drool over … the publishers have excelled themselves’ – Birmingham Post

Here is a letter in which Gandhi predicts his assassination; a document signed by Elizabeth I on the first day of her reign, where she omits the ‘R’ for Regina ('Queen'); an intimate note from Trotsky to Frida Kahlo; a rare letter from Casanova alluding to his rakish past; a note from JFK’s accountant gently querying the future president’s expenses…

True to the Letter offers a fascinating glimpse into the private lives and minds of one hundred of the most significant figures in the worlds of literature, art, music and politics. This compulsively readable anthology of letters, sketches, signed photographs and working drafts, many published here for the first time, abounds in striking insights, anecdotes and intimate vignettes.

Most of the documents are illustrated by portraits or photographs of their writers, and each is accompanied by a supporting essay revealing the circumstances in which it was written. Full transcriptions and translations of the originals are supplied at the end of the book.

Also of interest

The Thames & Hudson Literary Lives series