The Times Great Letters: A century of notable correspondence. James Owen

      

      

      Published by Times Books

      An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

      Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs,

      Glasgow. G64 2QT

      www.harpercollins.co.uk

      

      

      Ebook first edition 2017

      

      

      © Times Newspapers Ltd 2017

      www.thetimes.co.uk

      

      

      

      

      

      

      The Times is a registered trademark of Times Newspapers Ltd

      Copyright in the letters published in this volume belongs to the writers or their heirs or executors. HarperCollins would like to thank all those letter-writers who have given permission for their letters to appear in this volume. Every effort has been made to contact all individuals whose letters are contained within this volume; if anyone has been overlooked, we would be grateful if he or she would contact HarperCollins.

      

      

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      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

      

      

      Ebook Edition © October 2017

      ISBN: 9780008280222, version 2017-09-28

      

      

      

      

      

      

      Contents

       Cover

       Title

       Copyright

       Contents

       Introduction

       Starting Times

       Thundering (1914–19)

       New Times and New Standards (1920–29)

       Newspaper of Record (1930–39)

       The Best of Times, the Worst of Times (1940–49)

       Changing Times (1950–59)

       Keeping up with the Times (1960–69)

       The Top People’s Paper (1970–79)

       Living in Interesting Times (1980–89)

       Modern Times (1990–99)

       From Blair to Brexit (2000–16)

       End Times

       Index of Letter Writers

       About the Publisher

      INTRODUCTION

      Before 1914, there was no Letters Page as such in The Times. The newspaper had, since its founding in 1785, published correspondence to it. Yet in the era when its front page was still reserved for items of more importance than mere news — club announcements, death notices and public appointments — letters had to be fitted in as space allowed rather than gathered together: let alone considered an attraction in their own right.

      Although the change did not become fixed for some years, the decision to start grouping letters onto a single page when possible began to alter their nature and function. Until well into the previous century, those published had often been immensely lengthy (and now almost incomprehensible) political polemics.

      That Victorian taste for abundance had begun to dwindle by the time of the First World War and the advent of the motor car and the telephone had led to predictions of an imminent end to letter-writing. But while the constraints of the new lay-out often did encourage correspondents to be briefer, its introduction turned the page into the noticeboard of the Establishment.

      Rapidly, it took on the character for which it has become renowned, as a forum for debate, as a playground for opinion-formers and as a billboard for decision-makers. From the start, however, such weighty content was leavened by humour and quirkiness. Moreover, with readers making a regular appointment with the page, another of its features became more pronounced: rallies of letters, with each mail bringing a fresh serving of wit and erudition.

      Indeed, what is most striking about this selection of letters, across the years, is the sense of community between readers that emanates from them. Of course, what that community was has changed markedly over time. For much of the first