Grunwald, Lisa (Editor); Adler, Stephen J. (Editor)

America 1900-1999: Letters of the Century

ISBN: 0385315902
New York, NY, USA: Dial Press, 1999. First Edition. Hardcover. "Immediate and evocative, letters witness and fasten history, catching events as they happen," writes Lisa Grunwald and Stephen J. Adler in their introduction to this remarkable book. In more than 400 letters from both famous figures and ordinary citizens, Letters of the Century encapsulates the people and places, events and trends that shaped our nation during the last hundred years. Here is Mark Twain's hilarious letter of complaint to the head of Western Union, an ecstatic letter from a young Charlie Chaplin upon receiving his first movie contract, (Albert) Einstein's letter to Franklin Roosevelt warning about atomic warfare, Mark Rudd's "generation gap" letter to the president of Columbia University during the student riots of the '60s, and a letter from young Bill Gates imploring hobbyists not to share software so that innovation can make some money." (from front flap) A door-stopper compendium of great & fascinating letters that trace the history & controversies of the USA as it unfolded through the most-eventful twentieth century. Edited & with an Introduction by Lisa Grunwald (b. 1959), the acclaimed & prolific American novelist, children’s book author & editor; & her husband Stephen J. Adler (b. 1955), the noted American journalist. With delightful photo-montages preceding each chapter-decade. Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first edition published "October 1999" as stated on copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. From the collection of Barbara (1935-2023) & Irving (1933-2018) Nusbaum, world travellers, connoisseurs, eminent collectors of art & books- the dearly beloved parents of this grieving writer. We found & have retained, between pages 418-419, a vintage bookmark printed by the Jewish Theological Seminary, featuring the now-nostalgic image of a bulky 1990s-era computer. A most-comprehensive & rewarding American historical literary-epistolary collectible in its rarest contemporary form, with distinguished provenance. Book in relatively quite very fine condition with only a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; one very small line of light spotting at lower side edge of text block; one instance of faded line-rubbing at lower edge of same. Interior very fine with only small creases at upper corners of six page leaves (pgs. 175-6, 177-8, 283-4, 305-6, 325-6, 337-8) where once-folded by my father (who loved to read letters like these & to quote passages from them in his own speeches & writings); one small instance of marginalia-highlighting of a passage in black ink at pg. 178. Other than the above (which we view as an enhancement by a most-learned reader), interior appears substantially mint. Dust jacket very fine with only a few tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of front, back covers, spine & flaps. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #6547]

Price: $50.00