Samuel pepys and his books

Originally written in a cryptic shorthand, pepyss 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. Samuel pepys retained some affection for his old school and this and their joint interest in books brought them into fairly regular contact. On 1 january 1660 1 january 16591660 in contemporary terms, pepys began to keep a diary.

His diary is one of the principal sources for many aspects of the history of its period. 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 both king. But these were strange times, and a sequence of events was now set in train that would. Pepys adopted this quote from cicero as his motto in later life. Pepys had disinherited his nephew samuel jackson for marrying contrary to his wishes. For a decade, beginning in 1660, an ambitious young london civil servant kept an astonishingly candid account of his life during one of the most defining periods in british history. Pepyss diary is our principal source of information about 17thcentury london. Though he rose to become the most powerful administrator in king charles iis navy, when samuel pepys began writing his secret journal in 1660 he was just a young clerk living in london. But what makes it endlessly fascinating, says claire tomalin, is the. The unequalled self is full biography a biography that uses a six volume diary that covers a 10 year period of his life as a primary source. To read just the diary is to understand the years 16601669, but by reading tomalins work we. Samuel pepyss most popular book is the diary of samuel pepys.

He had never met the man, and the man did not know him. In fact pepys worked so hard, he complained to his diary on august 9, that he went to bed early because he was disturbed with overmuch business. Reading, newsgathering, and sociability, 1660 1703, by kate loveman. In 1666 pepys built a secondstorey extension on his house in seething lane and in reordering his upstairs rooms, created private closets for himself and elizabeth. The book examines how closets were used at the time and their wider social significance as a means of displaying status, personal taste and intellectual prestige. Reading, newsgathering, and sociability, 16601703 9780198732686. In the summer of 1662 he occupied his leisure moments by learning the multiplication table, listening to lectures on shipbuilding, and studying the prices of naval stores. Dined with her, and it was to get a letter of hers conveyed by a safe hand to my lords owne. Mar 16, 2020 pepys continued his business as normal approach, even in august, when the bills of mortality were recording more than 6,000 burials each week a figure that rose to 8,000 the following month. Five fascinating facts about samuel pepys interesting. Samuel pepys english diarist and naval administrator.

Although pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration. A witness to the coronation of charles ii, the great plague of 1665, and the great fire of 1666, pepys chronicled the events of his day. To read just the diary is to understand the years 16601669, but by reading tomalins work we are able to understand pepys and his countrys entire life. At his death, there were more than 3,000 volumes, including the diary, all carefully catalogued and indexed.

Pepys continued his business as normal approach, even in august, when the bills of mortality were recording more than 6,000 burials each week a figure that rose to 8,000 the following month. This page contains details about the nonfiction book the diary of samuel pepys by samuel pepys published in 1660. The unequalled self the biographer, claire tomalin, has managed to achieve this balance. It has long been recognised that books played a central role in samuel pepyss life. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the great plague of london. Samuel pepys samuel pepys naval administration it was not in pepyss nature to do things by halves.

Pepys rose to be the chief secretary to the admiralty under charles ii, and later under james ii. He is famous for his diary pepys rose to be the chief secretary to the admiralty under charles ii, and later under james ii. Aug 23, 2007 one day in october 1678 samuel pepys made an enemy. From 1661 to 1669, he kept a quotidian record of what he saw and heard and read, and whom he met. But what makes it endlessly fascinating, says claire tomalin, is the author s candour about his most intimate moments. The diary of samuel pepys is one of the most entertaining documents in english history. Although pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for. During his lifetime, he played several musical instruments, and was interested in the theatre, books and science.

Samuel pepys, born february 23, 1633, london, englanddied may 26, 1703, london, english diarist and naval administrator, celebrated for his diary first published in 1825, which gives a fascinating picture of the official and upperclass life of restoration london from jan. Samuel pepys and his books uses pepyss diary together with his unpublished papers and other contemporary sources to investigate reading and information exchange in the seventeenth century. Pepys adopted this quote from cicero as his motto in. This book uses his surviving papers to examine reading practices, collecting, and the exchange of information in the late seventeenth century. The diary of samuel pepys by samuel pepys the 1198th. Samuel pepys and his books kate loveman oxford university. Robert louis stevenson 18501894 is one of the most widely read and admired novelists of the nineteenth century. Samuel pepys is as much a paragon of literature as chaucer and shakespeare. He had bookplates made featuring the latin inscription beneath a portrait of himself in flourishing middle age. One day in october 1678 samuel pepys made an enemy. Sep 21, 2002 pepys s diary is our principal source of information about 17thcentury london. The diary of samuel pepys by samuel pepys, paperback barnes. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

The detailed private diary that pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century and is one of the most important primary sources for the english restoration period. Samuel pepys, 23 february 1633 26 may 1703 was an english administrator at the admiralty and member of parliament. In spite of its significance, all previous editions were inadequately edited and suffered from a number of omissionsuntil robert latham and william matthews went back to the 300yearold original manuscript and deciphered each. The diary of samuel pepys by samuel pepys, paperback. Jan 05, 2010 little could samuel pepys, a humble clerk living and working in london, have known that his diary would endure down the centuries, be read by kings and queens and studied by scholars the world over. The motto reads mens cujusque is est quisque mind makes the man. Jan 22, 2015 the diary of samuel pepys is one of the most entertaining documents in english history. Pepys was a government servant and a man of business who liked to regulate his life. Admittedly, as far as getting beneath her subjects skin, ms. English diarist, born on the 23rd of february 1633. Here he was taught by samuel cromleholme whom pepys refers to as crumlum in 9 entries in his diary. What pepyss plague diaries can teach us about coronavirus.

Pepys s diary is our principal source of information about 17thcentury london. The diary which samuel pepys kept from january 1660 to may 1669. Written between 1660 and 1669, as pepys was establishing himself as a key administrator in the navy office. Samuel pepys, english diarist and naval administrator, celebrated for his diary first published in 1825, which gives a fascinating picture of the official and upperclass life of restoration london from jan. Samuel pepys was a lifelong bibliophile and carefully nurtured his large collection of books, manuscripts, and prints. Written between 1660 and 1669, as pepys was establishing himself as a key administrator in the naval office, it is an intimate portrait of life in 17thcentury england covering his professional and personal activities, including, famously, his love of music, theatre, food, wine and his peccadilloes. Samuel pepys and his books uses pepys s diary together with his unpublished papers and other contemporary sources to investigate reading and information exchange in the seventeenth century. Samuel pepys was societys first sex offender, says author. Kate loveman samuel pepys was a great collector of books, news, and gossip. This study uses his surviving papers to examine reading practices, collecting, and the exchange of information in the late seventeenth. Reading, newsgathering, and sociability, 16601703 by kate loveman oxford university press, 336pp. Samuel pepys diary with information about his life and the 17th century background.

Samuel pepys was a great collector of books, news, and gossip. Having resolved to do his duty, he set out to equip himself for its performance. Samuel pepys has 601 books on goodreads with 173 ratings. The diary of samuel pepys audiobook by samuel pepys. Samuel pepys returned to london after the civil war and entered st pauls school.

This study uses his surviving papers to examine reading practices, collecting, and the exchange of information in the late seventeenth century. Following his passion for visual aesthetics and order, pepys resolved to have all his books bound alike and even arranged them by size on his bookshelves the books were double rowed with the larger books placed in the back of the shelves and smaller ones placed in the front, and he even had lifts created for books made to look like the book. Books and other textual formats were ubiquitous in pepyss world, althoug we use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. Thence to my lady sandwichs, who sent for me this morning. Naxos audiobooks the diary of samuel pepys, unabridged. The name was pronounced in the 17th century, and has always been pronounced by the. Selected extracts are supported by a complete transcription of his shorthand text. Tomalin has been helped by one of the most famous diaries of all time the one kept by pepys from his late 20s until his late 30s. Pepys started his diary in 1660, writing in it daily for almost 10 years. Nov 06, 2017 pepys was a government servant and a man of business who liked to regulate his life. His abridgment of the diary of samuel pepys is considered a triumph of editing. Offering the first extensive history of reading during the restoration, it traces developments in the book trade and news transmission at a.

This study uses his surviving papers to examine reading practices, collecting. He wrote about his daily life as well as historic events such as the great fire of london and the plague. Over the next nine years, he became eyewitness to some of the most significant events in seventeenthcentury english history, among them, the restoration. When john jackson died in 1724, pepys estate reverted to anne, daughter of archdeacon samuel edgeley, niece of will hewer and sister of hewer edgeley, nephew and godson of pepys old admiralty employee and friend will hewer. This book is the 1198th greatest nonfiction book of all time as determined by. Offering the first extensive history of reading during the restoration, it traces developments in the book trade and news transmission at a time when england was the scene of dramatic. Samuel pepys was born in london in 1633 and died there in 1703. Societys first sex offender released text shows how the famed writer used his power to assault multiple women the 17th century diarist documented his own.

This study uses his surviving papers to examine reading practices, collecting, and the exchange. Little could samuel pepys, a humble clerk living and working in london, have known that his diary would endure down the centuries, be read by kings and queens and studied by. In samuel pepys, claire tomalin offers us a fully realized and richly nuanced portrait of this man. Samuel pepys is not a man who requires an introduction, but this new book by kate loveman provides a fresh look into pepyss social life, by pointing out how this was shaped and expanded by pepyss love for books. Pepys was the son of a working tailor who had come to london from huntingdonshire. This record of a decade of pepys life is more than a million words long and is often regarded as britains most celebrated diary.