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Boswell's Journals #4
Journal.
PThe 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own#58; digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.brRich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict. br++++brThe below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification#58;br++++brSource Library#58; British LibraryPESTCID#58; T026163PNotes#58; Mr. S. D. C. = Gabriel Seigneux de Correvon. The Italian translation referred to is apparently 'Relazione della Corsica'. The imprint is false; printed in Switzerland, possibly in Lausanne (Weller).PImprint#58; Londres [i.e. Lausanne?], 1769. Collation#58; XXIV,296p. ; 8deg;
Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
About the author
James Boswell
1,672 books115 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 30, 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...
March 30, 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 17, 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.
May 22, 2026
Interesting mix of travel writing, history, and personal reflection. The older writing style took some getting used to, but I still enjoyed the historical perspective and Boswell’s admiration for Paoli throughout the book.
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 - 6 of 6 reviews