An excellent collection of some of the most significant letters published in The Times newspaper, providing fascinating historical insights and letting us hear the voices of some interesting people.

I so wanted to love this book. I have this romantic idea of these letters reflecting history and life but mostly it just comes across as pompous know it alls that remind me why I do not read them when they’re in a newspaper let alone a book..... having said all that I do think if you are fan of the times letters and have more patience than I it is amazing to read them as one collection

A real gem of a book. Humorous and insightful- gives a good history lesson at the same time. Worth dipping in and out and guaranteed to lift your mood.

What a fabulous read, which depicts great and bad times and events in our fantastic country. Some famous and notable letters from a variety of the country's who's who.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for copy of this to review.

I enjoyed dipping into this book, and was impressed with the variety of topics that it covers.It provides a personal insight into some famous names and a glimpse into their lives.

It’s true to say that the vast majority of letters in this collection were written by the upper classes for the upper classes, particularly in the first half of the 20th century when there were often heated exchanges between ex public schoolboys. This is nevertheless an entertaining and valuable record of changing social attitudes and concerns over a century. From anxieties that cricket was being ignored in favour of the ‘effeminate game’ of tennis (1921) to an explanation that ‘the Gays’ were not people but the pictures in illustrated papers (1933) to rage at women boarding rush hour trains, causing businessmen to stand in corridors - men only carriages were suggested! (1958).

There are letters expressing opinions and relating eye witness accounts of major world events and letters from some of the central figures, such as Mussolini, who wrote about ‘the great historical importance of the Fascist experiment’ (1925). On consecutive pages, there are letters from Eric Thompson (father of Emma), Spike Milligan, Antonia Fraser, Kenneth Tynan and Agatha Christie. Topics range from the intellectual to the bizarre. I’ll leave you with...

“Our country has been for many months suffering from a serious shortage of leeches. As long ago as last November there were only a few dozen left in London, and THEY were second-hand.......It may be of some consolation to my fellow-countrymen to know that our deficiency in leeches is more than compensated by the appalling shortage of sausage-skins in Middle Europe. With true German thoroughness they are trying to make artificial ones!” (1925)

With thanks to NetGalley and Collins Reference for a free review copy.

Some interesting things in the book. Good to dip into now and again. Wide range for topics covered....................

This was a book as marvellous as I expected it to be, although the contents are notedly longer and generally more serious than the rival volumes from the Telegraph. Here are some sterling and noted names giving their thoughts free of charge to the pseudonymous 'SIR' and his readers. Arthur Conan Doyle asks for WW1 soldiers to be equipped with bulletproof 30lb steel shields, only to pop up later concerning the benefits of baseball. H G Wells guns at length for PR, a hundred years before the LibDems failed to get anywhere with it. Montgomery is here on standards in skiing.

From less famous names we get how to cook porridge, and the horrors of girls being witness to greyhound races and betting. Trouser leg turn-ups are discussed ad infinitum, as are the origins of marmalade. A reader's daughter takes the chance to auction herself off in marriage. Triremes feature a lot more than you'd expect, only for things to return to flipping porridge again.

This is not as trivial a book as such a summary would suggest, for it's real social history – the very construct of the letter, and the fact that The Times still managed to shunt a hyphen into the word 'today' until 1960. Oh, and any author would die for the character name Primrose Feuchtwanger, but she's on these pages. There's a welter of other obscure, inventive and interesting titbits alongside her. A lovely volume to browse.

Obsessions of the 'Great British Public'...openly airing their 'laundry' via letters to 'The Times '. This anthology features some 300 letters covering the last century with some big names, pleasingly some literary giants too, thrown in. It makes for a great read which is very, very funny at times. One to dip into at leisure and would make a really well received gift. Very enjoyable.