100 Letters That Changed The World

A fascinating collection of some of the most significant, interesting, and groundbreaking letters ever written. The written word has the power to inspire, astonish, and entertain, as this collection of 100 letters that changed history will show. Ordered chronologically, the letters range from ink-inscribed tablets that vividly describe life in the Roman Empire to remarkable last wills and testaments, passionate outpourings of love and despair, and succinct notes with deadly consequences. Entries include: A job application from Leonardo da Vinci, with barely a mention of his artistic talents. Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn, which eventually led to the dissolution of the monasteries. The scrawled note that brought about Oscar Wilde’s downfall. Emile Zola’s “J’accuse!” open letter, in support of an alleged spy and against anti-Semitism. Beatrix Potter’s correspondence with a friend’s son that introduced the character of Peter Rabbit. A last letter from the Titanic. Nelson Mandela’s ultimatum to the South African president. A stunning new edition with an elegant new cover, this fascinating book is perfect both for reading cover-to-cover and dipping into to discover the delights within.

An intriguing collection of the most inspiring and powerful letters of all time. The written word has the power to inspire, astonish and entertain, as this collection of 100 letters that changed history will show. Ordered chronologically, the letters range from ink-inscribed tablets that vividly describe life in the Roman Empire to remarkable last wills and testaments, passionate outpourings of love and despair, and succinct notes with deadly consequences. Entries include: • A job application from Leonardo da Vinci, with barely a mention of his artistic talents. • Henry VIII's love letters to Anne Boleyn, which eventually led to the dissolution of the monasteries. • The scrawled note that brought about Oscar Wilde's downfall. • Emile Zola's 'J'accuse!' open letter, in support of an alleged spy and against anti-Semitism. • Beatrix Potter's correspondence with a friend's son that introduced the character of Peter Rabbit. • A last letter from the Titanic. • Nelson Mandela's ultimatum to the South African president. A stunning new edition with an elegant new cover, this fascinating book is perfect both for reading cover-to-cover and dipping into to discover the delights within.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanovs—and one of our pre-eminent historians and a prizewinning writer—an outstanding selection of great letters from ancient times to the 21st century, touching on power, love, art, sex, faith, and war. Written in History: Letters that Changed the World celebrates the great letters of world history, and cultural and personal life. Bestselling, prizewinning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore selects letters that have changed the course of global events or touched a timeless emotion—whether passion, rage, humor—from ancient times to the twenty-first century. Some are noble and inspiring, some despicable and unsettling, some are exquisite works of literature, others brutal, coarse, and frankly outrageous, many are erotic, others heartbreaking. It is a surprising and eclectic selection, from the four corners of the world, filled with extraordinary women and men, from ancient times to now. Truly a choice of letters for our own times encompassing love letters to calls for liberation to declarations of war to reflections on life and death. The writers vary from Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great to Mandela, Stalin and Picasso, Fanny Burney and Emily Pankhurst to Ada Lovelace and Rosa Parks, Oscar Wilde, Chekhov and Pushkin to Balzac, Mozart and Michelangelo, Hitler, Rameses the Great and Alexander Hamilton to Augustus and Churchill, Lincoln, Donald Trump and Suleiman the Magnificent. In a book that is a perfect gift, here is a window on astonishing characters, seminal events, and unforgettable words. In the colorful, accessible style of a master storyteller, Montefiore shows why these letters are essential reading and how they can unveil and enlighten the past—and enrich the way we live now.

A thought-provoking chronological journey through the world's most influential books. Many books have become classics, must-reads or overnight publishing sensations, but how many can genuinely claim to have changed the way we see and think? In 100 Books that Changed the World, authors Scott Christianson and Colin Salter bring together an exceptional collection of truly groundbreaking books – from scriptures that founded religions, to scientific treatises that challenged beliefs, to novels that kick-started literary genres. This elegantly designed book, first published in 2018 but updated with an exciting new cover, offers a chronological timeline of three millennia of human thought distilled in print, from the earliest illuminated manuscripts to the age of ebooks and audiobooks. Entries include: • The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer (750 BC) • Shakespeare's First Folio (1623) • A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) • The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank (1947) • Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (1958) • A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking (1988) For literary lovers and rebellious readers, this book offers a fascinating overview of world history through the books that influenced and changed it.

The history of the world as witnessed through the most inspiring, rousing, and memorable speeches ever given. Throughout history, passionate orators have rallied nations, challenged accepted beliefs, and changed the course of history. Colin Salter has identified one-hundred of history's most inspirational, momentous, and thought-provoking speeches from ancient Rome and Athens to the 21st century and puts them into context, telling the stories behind the words that made history. A celebration of the power of spoken rhetoric at its finest, this book profiles the words of the world's greatest public speakers. The speeches covered span the spectrum from stirring calls to arms to impassioned pleas for peace, along with speeches that marked major historical events such as the abolition of slavery, women achieving the right to vote, and the expansion of civil rights. Each speech features a concise introduction along with detailed analysis accompanied by key illustrations and photographs. Highlighted speeches include: Elizabeth I's speech in preparation of the Spanish Armada (1588), Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" (1851), Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (1863), Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (1933), Winston Churchill, "Blood, Sweat and Tears" (1940), Martin Luther King, "I Have a Dream" (1963), Harvey Milk's "Hope Speech" (1978), Margaret Thatcher's "The Lady's not for Turning" (1980), Nelson Mandela on his release from prison (1990), among many more.

100 Symbols That Changed The World looks at the genesis and adoption of the world’s most recognizable symbols.

‘We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed’ Martin Luther King In an era where the liberties we often take for granted are under threat, Letters To Change the World is a collection of inspiring letters offering reminders from history that standing up for and voicing our personal and political beliefs is not merely a crucial right but a duty if we want to change the world. Edited by Travis Elborough, the collection includes George Orwell's warning on totalitarianism, Martin Luther King's 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail', Albert Camus on the reasons to fight a war, Bertrand Russell on peace, Emmeline Pankhurst rallying her suffragettes, Nelson Mandela's letter to his children from prison and Time's Up on the abuse of power.

An accessible compendium of the world’s greatest scientists and the stories behind their dramatic breakthroughs From the early Greek mathematicians Euclid and Archimedes through to present-day Nobel Prize winners, this collection charts the great breakthroughs in scientific understanding. Each entry describes the story of the research, the significance of the science, and its impact on the scientific world, along with a résumé of each scientist’s career. From Roger Bacon’s revolutionary work on optics and Copernicus’s heliocentric model of the universe to Feynman diagrams and gravitational waves, this latest book in the award-winning “100” series serves as a short history of world science, illustrated with drawings, diagrams, and photographs.