Kind Regards: The Lost Art of Letter-Writing

Including ruminations on the importance of letter writing from famous literary and historical luminaries past, this is the fascinating story of how a simple piece of paper revolutionized global communication "No literary form is more revealing, more spontaneous or more individual than a letter."  —P.D. James Ever since the advent and increasing popularity of electronic communication, it has become clear that the worthy art of letter writing is in sad decline. E-mails and texts have overtaken the humble pen and paper as the most popular methods of communication. Here, the complete history of letter writing and how it has shaped the world today is explored—from the early Greek philosophers to the great letter writers Byron and Walpole, as well as many famous letters that have changed the world. It also covers the invention of the fountain pen and the growth of the mail delivery system, instructions for novice letter writers on how to construct the perfect correspondence, and how—despite the ever-growing influence of technology—handwritten letters might at last be regaining their value, meaning, and popularity in the modern world.