Christopher Hibbert draws on every known contemporary source to provide a minutely detailed look at 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.
Foreword ix
Author's Note xi
Part I 1709-1755
1 The Bookseller's Son 3
2 Grub Street 31
3 'Poor Dear Tetty' 62
4 'The Giant in his Den' 79
Part II 1756-1764
5 'A New Wife' 99
6 Tea Cups and Dinner Plates 120
7 A Young Man from Edinburgh 140
8 The Turk's Head Oracle 156
Part III 1765-1775
9 New Friends and Old Rambles 179
10 Streatham Park 193
11 Scotland 216
12 Wales and France 235
Part IV 1776-1784
13 'Whole Nests of People in his House' 251
14 Mr Wilkes and Mr Edwards 269
15 'Formidable and Dangerous Distempers' 282
16 The Race with Death 297
Notes 316
Bibliography 339
Index 344
Overview
Christopher Hibbert draws on every known contemporary source to provide a minutely detailed look at 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 ...