(CNN) -- Stalin was to the point. Napoleon went on and on. Hitler did it as if he were writing an employee's job review.

"Evil may walk among us, but that doesn't mean evil never wrote a love letter," said John Kirkland, an author who has plundered the depths of cheesy writing throughout history by revered, infamous and just plain awful people. His book "Love Letters of Great Men" is mostly filled with leaders acting honorably. But it also features several who had an affection for tyranny.

"I found that almost all powerful people are very passionate, and that naturally can make them over the top in their personal lives," Kirkland said.

"Another truth I learned," the author said, "is that it's never a good idea to hook up with a dictator."