Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children

by Dorie McCullough Lawson

An elegantly designed, beautifully composed volume of personal letters from famous American men and women that celebrates the American Experience and illuminates the rich history of some of America’s most storied families.

Posterity is at once an epistolary chronicle of America and a fascinating glimpse into the hearts and minds of some of history’s most admired figures and storied families. Spanning more than three centuries, these letters contain enduring lessons—in life, love, character and compassion—that will surprise and enlighten.

Included here are letters from Thomas Jefferson to his daughter, warning her of the evils of debt; General Patton on D-Day to his son, a cadet at West Point, about what it means to be a good soldier; W.E.B. Du Bois to his daughter about character beneath the color of skin; Oscar Hammerstein about why, after all his success, he doesn’t stop working; Woody Guthrie, writing from a New Jersey asylum, to nine-year-old Arlo about universal human frailty; Eleanor Roosevelt chastising her grown son for his Christmas plans; and Groucho Marx as a dog to his twenty-five-year-old son.

Here are renowned Americans in their own words and in their own times, seen as they were seen by their children. Here are our great Americans as mothers and fathers.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Philosophy, Family, Parenting, Literature

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2004

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a moving book. I loved reading the honest voices of these great men and women sharing their love, advice, faith, and humor, then signing so sweetly, "With Tenderest Affection, Daddy" (or mommy). The letters weren't all sweet, however, many also were harsh reprimands. I enjoyed the introduction bios just as much as the letters. It was interesting to find out about their accomplishments along with their personal lives and the circumstances surrounding the letters.

My complaint is that the letters were not all great. Some were so profound and packed with treasures of wisdom. Others were interesting as you got a glimpse into their lives or were written with so much love that it would have moved me to tears (if I were the crying type). But there was also a fairly big chunk that made me wonder why they were selected for this book.

My very favorite letters were:
Alfred Thayer Mahan (1890)on the fruits of love
Sherwood Anderson (1926)with advice
N.C. Wyeth (1944)on generous minds, and more...so good, this is probably my favorite
Carl Sandburg (1921) short, love filled letter written to his ten year old daughter in a sanatorium
Abigail Adams (1780) on the blessings of trials
W.E.B. Du Bois (1914) with advice
Barbara Bush (1993) with advice

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a good book to read in little bits before bed. absolutely my kind of nonsense. i do think that there is some issue in the curation of the letters - both in how often certain people appear, certain people being included at all, and some letters just not being worth including - but i still really enjoyed my experience.

[Amor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accidentally deleted this book from my list. What?!

This is the perfect book for a person with the desire to start reading biographies. It is organized by subject which is nice because the letters needn't be read in order. Also, it isn't filled with the minutia which can be intimidating to some readers. Each letter is preceded by a brief history about the person writing and the person receiving the letter; the history also provides a backdrop to the letter and offers the reader a glimpse as to why it was written.

The subjects included in the book range from topics like money management, family and love. I'm so glad I was introduced to this great book.

[Nikie Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Book Club book. I love David McCullough so I was excited to read something by his daughter. It took me a little while to get into reading a book in letter format--and I did find a few of the letters to be a little boring--but on the whole, I loved it. The letters range from funny, to ironic--Thomas Jefferson lecturing his daughter on the evils of debt--to touching and tragic. A great book.

[Danica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great collection of letters. I love writing and receiving letters and believe that it is becoming a lost art. This book demonstrates why it shouldn't.

[Dot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mix of past and recent historical figures. Some very surprising insights to people you think you knew.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. George HW Bush has the best letter near the end. Shows the value of letters and the relationships between great and their children.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to forget that the love that you have specifically for your own child is actually a universal love, shared by billions today and more billions in the past. Posterity is like a crack in the wall allowing you in on the love others have for their children by way of the letters of "great" Americans.

Lawson herself admits that the compilation includes a narrow list of people: some famous Americans didn't have children; some did, but never wrote to them, because they were near their children or (later) could telephone instead of write; some wrote banal missives that don't really warrant republication. The letters in this collect tilt heavily towards dead and white and male, although there are some exceptions. It is, however, interesting to read multiple letters from the same people to different children, or to the same child over time.

To her credit, Lawson includes the deeply moving and heartfelt letters (Woody Guthrie to Arlo in the hospital) as well as the shockingly callous (Jack London putting his 12-year-old daughter in the middle of his acrimonious divorce) in her collection. She organizes the letters by topic ("Aging," "Love," etc.) and then by date of the letter. Each letter is prefaced with context, setting up the relationship between parent and child and circumstances of the letter. But what is most noticeable to me is how much parents of all stripes love their children, however clumsy they may be at showing it.

[Tait Sougstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posterity is a wonderful guided introduction into the world of epistolary literature. Anyone who has ever wanted to try reading the mail of dead people will find old letters coming alive in this book.

Lawson prefaces each letter with a short explanatory note to explain the context, so that the reader can understand opaque references in the text. The letters are organized by topic, and within each topic, chronologically. I discovered so many little gems in the characters explored, many of whom I had some prior knowledge of, but many were fast introductions.

A US navy admiral exhorting his daughter to trust and follow Jesus. N. C. Wyeth's stunning visual descriptions and wry humor about noteworthy events. Harriet Beecher Stowe sharing her deep mourning. The comedy, sadness, and fiery anger of hopeful, successful, and once-successful writers to their children. And, of course, the wit and moralization of the early American founders, with all sorts of advice, advice, advice.

The book is worth the price for the bibliography alone. The extensive list of biographies and published letter collections will help me explore the lives and minds of these fascinating people.

[Bob Gustafson · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a great idea! Find letters from famous people that they sent to their children and letters from people that they sent to their children who became famous and put the best of them in a book! Dorie McCullough Lawson collected hundreds, if not thousands of them, but the idea turned out not to be so great.

There are a few good letters, but not enough to make a book out of. So Ms. McCullough had to get something for all her research, and here it is, dozens of uninteresting letters. Buy and read something else.

[Goke Pelemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove of wisdom, offering valuable insights and honest advice from parents to their children. The letters published in it provide a unique perspective, as parents share their own experiences and mistakes, hoping to guide their loved ones away from similar pitfalls.

At the same time, they also seem to acknowledge the importance of making one's own mistakes and learning from them. The book is an enjoyable and enlightening read, offering a glimpse into the hearts and minds of those who have come before us.

[Bethany Geffken · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing peak into the lives of people who had great impact on American culture. I find it interesting that many of these writers are imploring their own children to listen to their advice which is so easily followed in their positions of power or influence. My favorite letters are by George and Barbara Bush and Eddie Rickenbacker.

[Diddou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a mismatch of expectations here.
What great means is something reflected in society, meanwhile what children imply is a work of hidden labour.
The letters are a proof of stoicism, polished words (as were the times requesting), refrained love (or so it seems) and the art of written storytelling.
Without their lives context, this is the natural conclusion one can get to.

[Rindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The letters in this book offer a intimate glimpse into the lives of well known Americans of days past. While I probably wouldn't have chosen some of the letters in this book, many are deeply moving examples of the love a parent has for a child. Others provide lessons which stand the test of time and can be referred to over and over again.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of letters from great Americans to their children. It is filled with interesting historical information, as well as wonderful insights. This book is best enjoyed in small doses so that the reader can enjoy each of the letters.

[Sarah Musser mcalister · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was all right. I wish that I could have read a little more about who some of these people are. It was also sad to read some of these letters. My favorite letter was the one that Barbara Bush wrote to her kids. I'm glad that this book ended with that one.

[Carlton Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuggets of wisdom and interesting factoids from history.

[Rafał Grzesiakowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many fine words of wisdom.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrific book. The author did an excellent job of not only choosing which letters to include in this collection, but also of providing context to each.

[Christi Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much and continue to recommend it/gift it to others!

The letters are not all plesant, but they are all beautifully written and wonderful to read.

[szymborskalyte · Rating 1 out of 5]

A flood of cliches.

[Bill Krieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! Posterity is one of my all-time favorite reads. The author is David McCullough's daughter. (pedigree!) As the subtitle says, she has collected "letters from great Americans to their children". I got this as a present from my own amazing daughter. (pedigree in reverse, ha!) Thanks, Hol!

If you have kids, then this is powerful reading. The letters are quite personal and intimate. Nearly all the letters are more than a century old, and nearly all the letter-writers are famous or rich or powerful. And yet, the letters ring true to anyone who is a parent. It's heartening that we share so much with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison and Abigail Adams, and on and on and on. It's a common bond of loving our kids and caring for them above everything else. It's really heartening to read.

A common theme in the letters is the frustration of communicating with our children. Whether scolding or giving advice or even praising, parents struggle mightily to get their message across to their kids. "This is important! Listen to me!" (ha!) You want so strongly to help and guide things directly, but our greatest impact as parents is indirect, as role models.

I'd love to write letters like this. And maybe I'll write one or two. But it's pretending at this point. Generations ago, you had to write letters just to communicate. And parents were regularly separated from their children for many months or even years. I think this adds to the urgency and passion in these letters from the past. Losing this intense level of communication kind of stinks, but progress always has a cost.

I don't have any quotes (QOTD) for you. The whole book is one big QOTD. I initially had the paperback version. I read a couple of the letters and (chop chop) ordered myself a hardcover because I knew I wanted to highlight like crazy and also read it again later.

I'll mention one letter specifically because I poo-poo'ed it. At the end of the book, there's a fairly recent letter from George H. W. Bush to his children and grandchildren. I saw it and made a face-scrunch. I anticipated that it wouldn't be as strong as the older letters, and it wouldn't be as intimate. I was totally wrong. The Senior Bush's letter is a beautiful message to his grandkids describing his struggles in aging. Really great and human!

Father's Day is coming up... go get it.
A great read!
yow, bill

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s an anthology, and, as such, the quality is uneven. Each reader will have his or her personal favorites. For me, Ansel Adams to Michael Adams (p. 14) was the most touching. If ever I can write a sentence with so perfect and beautiful an image, then my writing life will be complete: “I am wondering, in the afternoon of my life, just what your day will be.” Not far behind on my scale of enjoyment was N.C. Wyeth to Nat and Caroline Wyeth about his grandson Newell (p. 35). I appreciated the practical wisdom of John D. Rockefeller, William Carlos Williams, Oscar Hammerstein, and a handful of others. In our increasingly post-Christian age, I took special notice of great Americans who chose to write to their children of faith: not “faith” as an amorphous, feel-good, self-improvement technique, but faith in God as revealed in scripture: from Anne Bradstreet, to Jonathan Edwards (of course!), Daniel Webster, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Anne Bradstreet, Benjamin Rush, Eddie Rickbacker, all the way to Barbara Bush. For me, the letters range from a rare five-star and several four-stars, counterbalanced by several two-star pieces and, every so often, a one-star, so I’ll give the collection three stars overall.

[Sharman Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of letters gives us a glimpse into the hearts and homes of some very public figures. Some of them were wonderful parents, others not so much. Some were very close to their children, others had little contact with them. My impression is that all of these parents, sooner or later, realized their responsibility toward their children, and that the bond between them was precious.

Reading these personal letters made me nostalgic for the time when our thoughts were carefully written on a sheet of paper, placed into an envelope, and after the stamp and back of the envelope was licked, placed in the mailbox, all with love. I have saved pretty much every letter anyone has sent to me, and I still take some out to reread. Should I sift through old emails, FB posts, and texts, and store them in an organized digital repository? I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with the photos! Don't get me wrong, I love word processing too much (except for auto-correct 😉) to go back to the old ways, but we always leave some good things behind when we move on.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kind of book is best read slowly, when you have a little time here and a little time there. I read it for book club so felt an urgency to finish is quickly. I don't think it's meant to be read quickly. I didn't know or had never heard of A LOT of these "Great American's" some of them were poets and artist and most of them came from the 1700's and 1800's. The general theme was that these people ADORED their children, even expressing that kind of adoration when they were significantly older. Most of them had very long absences from their children. My favorite letter was from Mark Twain to his 3 year old daughter Susie pretending he was Santa Clause. I will never think of Jack London in a positive light ever again after reading his horrible and verbally abusive letters to his 12 year old daughter basically telling her she needed to choose between him and his "small in every sense of the word" ex-wife.

[Angie Bollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book that gives a rare glimpse of the lives of great Americans. Just about every subject is raised. Character, money management, aging, family relationships. In short, everything that regular Americans experience. Some of the insights into the lives of these people that surprised me are as follows:

*General Pershing lost his wife and three daughters in a fire in 1915 and the only child living was his son Warren whom he chastized about his grades (He was worried he wouldn't make it into West Point). Warren did not make it into West Point but became a stock broker and was the pride of his father's life.

*George H.W. Bush has a sense of humor.

*The contributions that the Rockifeller Family made to the betterment of the country. Like millions of dollars to create Arcadia National Park in California and the Teton National Park in Wyoming.

[Lhawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book, not only as a unique way to understand American History, but also as a way to introduce young people to using primary sources. And within the history, what you are learning about, is not the events, but rather the people who lived those events. It is a view right into their hearts as individuals. I am a firm believer that history is best looked at in personal way, and this makes it highly personal.
This is both a history book and a writing book. These are personal letters of famous people to their families. It would make a terrific compliment if you have been discussing letter writing specifically, or writing in general.

[Mauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

'It was ok' sums this book up pretty well. It depended a little too much on the letters themselves to carry the whole theme. I rather enjoyed the little introductory paragraphs about each person and the background surrounding the letter.

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

A respectable first book by the daughter of one of America's premier historians, David McCullough. The letters chosen reflect intelligent researching and presentation, and provide inspiration and insight to the challenges faced by parents and their children in all ages.