Those who saw the film Sex in the City may remember references to a book of letters from great men to their lovers. When Ursula Doyle discovered that no such book existed, she decided to create one, and it is now a Macmillan digital audiobook. That means that Love Letters of Great Men is, in what is a sign of the growing popularity of iPod or MP3 listening, available only as a download from audible.co.uk. It will cost you a mere £9.09 (£7.99 to subscribers) for more than three hours (three CDs' worth) of amorous outpourings.

The letters are thoughtfully chosen, intelligently juxtaposed and provided with informative biographical links, but what makes the audiobook sensational is that it is read by Anton Lesser, who copes as well with Henry VIII's pompous egotism in addressing Anne Boleyn as with Napoleon's besotted fury at Josephine's failure to write to him (“I do not love thee any more, on the contrary, I detest thee. Thou art horrid, very awkward, very stupid, a very Cinderella”).

The first part of the download is dominated with great writers who revel rather too much in their words, but the collection develops wings as it moves closer to our own times. Who would have thought that the famed 18th-century Duke of Cumberland, who gained the sobriquet of “Butcher”, could wax so soppy in his missives to his “dear little angel” of a mistress? And who could rival G.K. Chesterton's offerings to his wife-to-be “for starting on a journey to fairyland”? It starts with “1) A Straw Hat” and ends with “12) A Heart - mislaid somewhere”.

Love Letters of Great Men
audible.co.uk Listen to a sample or buy the audiobook

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