Robert Latham Knihy

Pepys diary complete for the year 1661

Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) is known as the first published diarist. His eleven-volume work, written between 1660 and 1669, has held readers' fascination. This anthology of selections from Samuel Pepys's famous diary collects passages by subject, providing a fresh look at some of the themes running through Pepys's massive work. It presents Pepys as a man of fashion, a booklover, a musician and theatergoer, as well as a husband and public servant. Through descriptions of everyday life and historic events like the Fire and the Plague, Pepys's life and times are revealed in all their richness and variety. This work offers the opportunity to rediscover favorite passages and serves as a delightful introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Pepys.

Illustrated version of selected passages from Pepys' diary between 1660 and 1669, showing his robust enjoyment of both his public and private lives

Samuel Pepys began his celebrated diary in 1660, at the age of 26, as a young and ambitious secretary. Due to his support of the king's restoration, he soon found himself in an influential position in the Royal Navy's administration. He was to keep the diary for nearly ten years, until his eye sight failed, and in it he would record many of the great events of the age, such as the outbreak of plague and the Great Fire of London, as well as many smaller, domestic and personal happenings. Although written in shorthand and principally for his own personal remembrance and pleasure, it is clear at times that Pepys had one eye on posterity. It is a large work, conveniently divided into one volume per year; here is the first, based on the first complete edition, that of Henry B. Wheatley, originally published in 1893.

This three-volume set presents the detailed diary of Samuel Pepys, a prominent figure in 17th-century England, covering the years 1660 to 1669. Pepys, a naval administrator and Member of Parliament, offers a first-hand account of daily life during a transformative period in British history, including the Restoration of Charles II and the Great Plague of London. The diary chronicles Pepys's personal experiences, social interactions, and professional challenges, providing insight into the political and cultural landscape of the time. Key themes include the complexities of public and private life, the impact of major historical events, and the evolution of societal norms. Notable characters include Pepys himself, whose candid reflections reveal his ambitions, fears, and relationships, as well as influential figures such as Charles II, various members of the court, and Pepys's friends and family. The narrative is characterized by its vivid detail and introspective nature, making it a valuable resource for understanding the era's historical context and social dynamics. The work serves as both a personal memoir and a significant historical document, reflecting the intricacies of life in 17th-century England.

With his unquenchable joy in life and his endless curiosity, Pepys is the perfect diarist for the general reader. In his pages the public events of London in the 1660s - the politics of the Restoration, the Dutch War, the Plague, the Great Fire - are interwoven with a richly diverting account of his colourful private life. Perhaps no one else in the whole of English history has transmitted his experience so vividly to posterity. Pepys's diary has long been recognized as the most remarkable diary in the English language, but it has been impossible until our own day to print it as he wrote it. Very little scholarly work had been done on it, and legal restrictions prevented the publication of its frankest passages, in which Pepys describes his vigorous love life. In 1960, however, two scholars set to work afresh on a study of the manuscript - the late Professor William Matthews, the leading expert on the shorthand in which the diary was written, and Robert Latham, an authority on the history of the period. Together they worked out a new version of the text which was published in 9 volumes, making Pepys available to the public in full for the first time. This edition - lavishly illustrated from a wealth of contemporary material - is meant for the reader who will welcome the chance of having a representative selection. It contains about one-twelfth of the original 1,300,000 words and is so designed that the flavour and variety of the original is retained.