I'm not sure Letters of Note needs any introduction, but for anyone not in the know, it's a blog dedicated to finding and sharing amazing examples of written correspondence throughout history.

These letters – whether they're written by an ex-slave to his former master, a Pixar director to a young fan, or even a copywriter looking for a job in the 1930s – give us a tiny but extraordinary glimpse into these peoples' lives. Some are hilarious, some are sad, and many are inspiring.

And now, 125 of the letters shared on Letters of Note over the years have been compiled into a beautiful book. The book includes correspondence from dozens of famous individuals, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Amelia Earhart, JFK, Mahatma Gandhi, and a lot more.

The book will be released in the US in May 2014, and can be pre-ordered from Amazon for $30. If that's too long a wait, you can get it right now from the UK Amazon Store (£15.21) or the UK iBooks Store (£13).