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Boswell's Journals #4
An Account of Corsica: The Journal of a Tour to That Island/Memoirs of Pascal Paoli
This first complete reprint of Boswell's book on Corsica since the eighteenth century is enhanced by comprehensive annotation, textual apparatus, and a critical introduction. Boswell designed his text in two first, an Account of Corsica, which gives a historical, political, socio-economic, and cultural overview of the Corsican people, and second, the Journal of his tour to see the Corsican leader Pascal Paoli in 1765. This edition, unlike so many reprints of just the Journal , allows the reader to appreciate Boswell's original design.
The young and adventuresome Boswell wanted to write a book that would swing public opinion, and perhaps the British government, to support the Corsicans in their struggle for independence. He was well aware that his English readers had but the haziest ideas about Corsica gleaned from but snatches of news in the papers. The first part would therefore provide the context within which to understand and appreciate his account of his journey to and meeting with Paoli.
The complete text also illustrates aspects of Boswell that have received less attention than they might, namely, his sense of history, his political enthusiasm for national liberty, and his scholarship. He brings to the book a solid foundation in the Classics and the law, a facility in French and Italian, and a sensitivity to writing that, as the notes show, is evident in the reworking of his manuscript. The editors' introduction and the extensive annotation point up Boswell the scholar--assiduous, sedulous to get at the relevant sources, careful to do justice to those he disagreed with, and open about seeking and acknowledging advice. The text reveals Boswell as a serious and independent thinker and a writer committed to Corsica's independence. What he argued for and presumed was about to be achieved is still a matter of debate in Corsica and metropolitan France.
The young and adventuresome Boswell wanted to write a book that would swing public opinion, and perhaps the British government, to support the Corsicans in their struggle for independence. He was well aware that his English readers had but the haziest ideas about Corsica gleaned from but snatches of news in the papers. The first part would therefore provide the context within which to understand and appreciate his account of his journey to and meeting with Paoli.
The complete text also illustrates aspects of Boswell that have received less attention than they might, namely, his sense of history, his political enthusiasm for national liberty, and his scholarship. He brings to the book a solid foundation in the Classics and the law, a facility in French and Italian, and a sensitivity to writing that, as the notes show, is evident in the reworking of his manuscript. The editors' introduction and the extensive annotation point up Boswell the scholar--assiduous, sedulous to get at the relevant sources, careful to do justice to those he disagreed with, and open about seeking and acknowledging advice. The text reveals Boswell as a serious and independent thinker and a writer committed to Corsica's independence. What he argued for and presumed was about to be achieved is still a matter of debate in Corsica and metropolitan France.
302 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
79 people want to read
About the author
James Boswell
1,609 books106 followersJames Boswell, 10th Laird of Auchinleck and 1st Baronet was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the eldest son of a judge, Alexander Boswell, 8th Laird of Auchinleck and his wife Euphemia Erskine, Lady Auchinleck. Boswell's mother was a strict Calvinist, and he felt that his father was cold to him. Boswell, who is best known as Samuel Johnson’s biographer, inherited his father’s estate Auchinleck in Ayrshire. His name has passed into the English language as a term (Boswell, Boswellian, Boswellism) for a constant companion and observer.
Boswell is also known for the detailed and frank journals that he wrote for long periods of his life, which remained undiscovered until the 1920s. These included voluminous notes on the grand tour of Europe that he took as a young nobleman and, subsequently, of his tour of Scotland with Johnson. His journals also record meetings and conversations with eminent individuals belonging to The Club, including Lord Monboddo, David Garrick, Edmund Burke, Joshua Reynolds and Oliver Goldsmith. His written works focus chiefly on others, but he was admitted as a good companion and accomplished conversationalist in his own right.
Boswell is also known for the detailed and frank journals that he wrote for long periods of his life, which remained undiscovered until the 1920s. These included voluminous notes on the grand tour of Europe that he took as a young nobleman and, subsequently, of his tour of Scotland with Johnson. His journals also record meetings and conversations with eminent individuals belonging to The Club, including Lord Monboddo, David Garrick, Edmund Burke, Joshua Reynolds and Oliver Goldsmith. His written works focus chiefly on others, but he was admitted as a good companion and accomplished conversationalist in his own right.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 31, 2018
From BBC Radio 4 - Drama:
An irreverent riff on James Boswell's Tour to Corsica.
By the creator of Radio 4's much loved detective series McLevy, David Ashton.
James Boswell is 24 and under pressure to grow up and become a man. He heads to Europe to buy some time and sets foot on Corsica, hoping for adventure. What he finds is a fearless society of freedom fighters and their charismatic leader.
Flutist: Claire Simpson
Directed by Kirsty Williams.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08b...
An irreverent riff on James Boswell's Tour to Corsica.
By the creator of Radio 4's much loved detective series McLevy, David Ashton.
James Boswell is 24 and under pressure to grow up and become a man. He heads to Europe to buy some time and sets foot on Corsica, hoping for adventure. What he finds is a fearless society of freedom fighters and their charismatic leader.
Flutist: Claire Simpson
Directed by Kirsty Williams.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08b...
April 9, 2018
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08b...Description: An irreverent riff on James Boswell's Tour to Corsica by the creator of Radio 4's much loved detective series McLevy, David Ashton.
James Boswell is 24 and under pressure to grow up and become a man. He heads to Europe to buy some time and sets foot on Corsica, hoping for adventure. What he finds is a fearless society of freedom fighters and their charismatic leader.
Boswell Lorn Macdonald
Jacob Alasdair Hankinson
Luigi Andy Clark
Padre Guilio David Ashton
Countess Anita Vettesse
Ambrosio Jimmy Chisholm
Paoli Gavin Mitchell
May 22, 2009
According to an extract from a letter from Marseilles in 1765, James Boswell wrote upon meeting General de Paoli in Corsica: "Sir, I am upon my travels, and have lately visited Rome: I am come from seeing the ruins of one brave and free people: I now see the rise of another."
This book of Boswell's is split into two parts. The first is Boswell's account of Corsica, which in the eighteenth century was literally and figuratively a foreign and misunderstood land to Europeans. In this section he discusses the country from a historical, political, cultural point of view. He talks about the land, the animals, the people (Boswell at times compares the Corsican people to the Scots Highlanders: "The Corsicans are in general of small stature, and rather hard-favored, much like the Scots Highlanders; though as we find among these, so we also find among the Corsicans many of good size, and comely countenances", though I wonder how much of that was Boswell idealizing his own ancestry and how much was true), the history of the language, as well as the history of Corsica, spending the majority of his time explaining the liberation of the Corsicans from the Genoese which was accomplished through the Corsican leader, Pascal Paoli in 1755. Ten years after said liberation Boswell was personally introduced to Paoli in hopes that his account of Corsica would help convince Europeans to support the Corsican's struggle for independence.
The second part of the book is specifically Boswell's journal from his Corsican visit. As far as travel memoirs go, this is a good one. Not all parts are riveting ("However there were two or three Corsicans aboard, and one of them played on the citra, which amused me a good deal. At sunset all the people in the ship sung the Ave Maria, with great devotion and some melody."), but in the context of Boswell's intentions surrounding his trip to Corsica, and my abnormal interest/obsession in travel memoirs of generations past, I found it all rather fun to read. I especially liked having Boswell's account of the country and his journal of his visit there back-to-back, like having two very good primary sources on the same subject without having to pick up two different books.
So while I got this book for my boyfriend one Christmas, he has yet to read it (to be fair, he has flipped through it on more than one occasion and read bits and pieces). I suppose then I still have to recommend this book to him.
This book of Boswell's is split into two parts. The first is Boswell's account of Corsica, which in the eighteenth century was literally and figuratively a foreign and misunderstood land to Europeans. In this section he discusses the country from a historical, political, cultural point of view. He talks about the land, the animals, the people (Boswell at times compares the Corsican people to the Scots Highlanders: "The Corsicans are in general of small stature, and rather hard-favored, much like the Scots Highlanders; though as we find among these, so we also find among the Corsicans many of good size, and comely countenances", though I wonder how much of that was Boswell idealizing his own ancestry and how much was true), the history of the language, as well as the history of Corsica, spending the majority of his time explaining the liberation of the Corsicans from the Genoese which was accomplished through the Corsican leader, Pascal Paoli in 1755. Ten years after said liberation Boswell was personally introduced to Paoli in hopes that his account of Corsica would help convince Europeans to support the Corsican's struggle for independence.
The second part of the book is specifically Boswell's journal from his Corsican visit. As far as travel memoirs go, this is a good one. Not all parts are riveting ("However there were two or three Corsicans aboard, and one of them played on the citra, which amused me a good deal. At sunset all the people in the ship sung the Ave Maria, with great devotion and some melody."), but in the context of Boswell's intentions surrounding his trip to Corsica, and my abnormal interest/obsession in travel memoirs of generations past, I found it all rather fun to read. I especially liked having Boswell's account of the country and his journal of his visit there back-to-back, like having two very good primary sources on the same subject without having to pick up two different books.
So while I got this book for my boyfriend one Christmas, he has yet to read it (to be fair, he has flipped through it on more than one occasion and read bits and pieces). I suppose then I still have to recommend this book to him.
February 11, 2021
Nice to read about Pascal Paoli! But the book was too short and I was really hoping for more details..
March 12, 2008
dry reading, but a good followup if you read his journal
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews