Dispatches from the Heartis a tribute to the courage of soldiers at the front line of battle during the 19th and 20th centuries, and to the relationships they shared with their loved ones waiting at home. Heartbreaking and vividly descriptive, these letters—to wives, sweethearts, and family members—speak of loneliness and hilarity, boredom and the terrifying excitement of action, the companionship of friends and the agony of loss. Many of the writers never returned, while others made it back to continue their lives.