This vivid picture of an Irish navvy's life in England in the 1950s mirrors that of an entire generation who left Ireland without education or hope. Days without food or work, the hardships of work camps, lonesome partings after trips home, periods of intense isolation and bitter reflection, all were part of the experience.
The 100 letters collected in this beautifully illustrated book demonstrate the power of the written word to inspire, astonish and entertain. Ranging from ink-inscribed tablets vividly describing life in the Roman Empire to remarkable last wills and testaments, passionate outpourings of love and despair, and succinct notes with deadly consequences.
Extracts from Van Gogh's letters are presented as `found poems', mainly in the form of sonnets. They record many of the pivotal moments in his life, and Van Gogh's frame of mind and his emotional state at these times are evident in the content and tone of the writing. Book also includes 87 colour plates