What do you think?
The Diary of Samuel Pepys #10
The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Vol. 10: Companion
Samuel Pepys is as much a paragon of literature as Chaucer and Shakespeare. His Diary is one of the principal sources for many aspects of the history of its period. In spite of its significance, all previous editions were inadequately edited and suffered from a number of omissions―until Robert Latham and William Matthews went back to the 300-year-old original manuscript and deciphered each passage and phrase, no matter how obscure or indiscreet.
The Diary deals with some of the most dramatic events in English history. Pepys witnessed the London Fire, the Great Plague, the Restoration of Charles II, and the Dutch Wars. He was a patron of the arts, having himself composed many delightful songs and participated in the artistic life of London. His flair for gossip and detail reveals a portrait of the times that rivals the most swashbuckling and romantic historical novels. In none of the earlier versions was there a reliable, full text, with commentary and notation with any claim to completeness. This edition, first published in 1970, is the first in which the entire diary is printed with systematic comment. This is the only complete edition available; it is as close to Pepys’s original as possible.
The Diary deals with some of the most dramatic events in English history. Pepys witnessed the London Fire, the Great Plague, the Restoration of Charles II, and the Dutch Wars. He was a patron of the arts, having himself composed many delightful songs and participated in the artistic life of London. His flair for gossip and detail reveals a portrait of the times that rivals the most swashbuckling and romantic historical novels. In none of the earlier versions was there a reliable, full text, with commentary and notation with any claim to completeness. This edition, first published in 1970, is the first in which the entire diary is printed with systematic comment. This is the only complete edition available; it is as close to Pepys’s original as possible.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
649 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2001
About the author
Samuel Pepys
1,138 books76 followersSamuel Pepys was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under King James II. His influence and reforms at the Admiralty were important in the early professionalization of the Royal Navy.
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 13, 2016
Boy - am I now a know-it-all about Pepys! Love him! Needless to say, a thousand thanks to all the people who put what must have been a whopping amount of work into this.
November 5, 2013
A great book, an easy reference guide to accompany the series of diaries and is broken down into specific sections dealing with each topic that you may encounter within the diaries.
Also handy sections at the back of each chapter with an alphabetical list of the key figures he mentions with a little detail on that person so the people involved are very easy to find to look up their background info.
An invaluable companion that I have been reading slowly alongside the diaries and some books on Pepys to absorb all the extra information that is compiled.
Definitely worth reading but to be honest ONLY if you have a knowledge of Pepys, his diaries and the time period involved as obviously the subject matter is about him and his world so is pretty useless to a casual reader without any basic knowledge of the topics covered.
Also handy sections at the back of each chapter with an alphabetical list of the key figures he mentions with a little detail on that person so the people involved are very easy to find to look up their background info.
An invaluable companion that I have been reading slowly alongside the diaries and some books on Pepys to absorb all the extra information that is compiled.
Definitely worth reading but to be honest ONLY if you have a knowledge of Pepys, his diaries and the time period involved as obviously the subject matter is about him and his world so is pretty useless to a casual reader without any basic knowledge of the topics covered.
January 24, 2012
An essential read for any lover of Pepys, providing detailed background information about the world of the diaries. A great book to dip into, so ideal for either the coffee table or bathroom shelf.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews