Samuel Johnson: A Personal History

Christopher Hibbert draws on every known contemporary source to provide a minutely detailed look of the fascinating writer Samuel Johnson. Using facts and anecdotes, Hibbert delivers intimate glimpses into Johnson's time as a schoolboy, his eccentricities as an undergraduate at Oxford, his struggle as a poor writer in London, and his slow rise to the legendary figure with a court of admirers and a steady stream of visitors. Hibbert combines personal stories with an examination Johnson's writing, offering a compelling and readable account.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the Pimlico Edition List of Illustrations Author's Note PART I: 1709-1755 The Bookseller's Son Grub Street 'Poor Dear Tetty' 'The Giant in his Den' PART II: 1756-1764 'A New Wife' Tea Cups and Dinner Plates A Young Man from Edinburgh The Turk's Head Oracle PART III: 1765-1775 New Friends and Old Rambles Streatham Park Scotland Wales and France PART IV: 1776-1784 'Whole Nests of People in his House' Mr Wilkes and Mr Edwards 'Formidable and Dangerous Distempers' The Race with Death Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
CHRISTOPHER HIBBERT was born in 1924 and educated at Radley and Oxford, UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of many highly acclaimed books, including Disraeli, Edward VII, George VI, The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici; The English: A Social History; and Cavaliers and Roundheads. HENRY HITCHINGS is the critically acclaimed author of The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English and Defining the World: The Extraordinary Story of Dr Johnson's Dictionary. Educated at the universities of Oxford and London, he has contributed to many newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Financial Times, and the Times Literary Supplement.

Review :
'Skillful and beautifully written' - The Washington Post 'Persuasive and lively...A highly entertaining portrait' - Sunday Telegraph 'An excellent and original study' - Sunday Times