The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Vol. X: Companion

The Diary of Samuel Pepys #10

by Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (Editor)

The companion volume to the complete Diary of Samuel Pepys in its most authoritative and acclaimed edition. Samuel Pepys’s Diary was first published in abbreviated form in 1825. A succession of new versions brought out in the Victorian era made the Diary one of the best-known books and Pepys one of the best-known figures of English history. However, not until the publication of the Latham and Matthews edition was the Diary presented in its complete form, with a newly transcribed text and the benefit of a systematic commentary. The text of the Diary is in nine volumes, followed by this Companion and an Index. The edition has justly become established as the definitive version, hailed by The Times as ‘one of the glories of contemporary English publishing’ and by C. P. Snow as ‘a triumph of modern scholarship’. The Companion has been compiled and edited by Robert Latham, with specialist contributions from other scholars. The result of many years’ research, it is an essential adjunct to the Diary text. Over 1,700 entries, alphabetically arranged, fill in the background details about the people and places mentioned in the Diary. In addition there are longer articles on a wide range of subjects of particular relevance to Pepys and his period, such as the Great Fire, the Dutch Wars and the Plague. Others reflect Pepys’s lively interest in the arts, science and medicine, and his work for the Navy. In addition, many aspects of social history are covered in articles on, for example, dress, food, drink, taverns and travel. The book is completed by an extensive glossary, genealogical tables, a chronology and maps. The Companion will not only enrich every reader’s appreciation of Pepys’s magnificent Diary, but forms in its own right a fascinating and varied survey of seventeenth-century England.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

626 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Samuel 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').

Reviews

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Michael Wombat · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.