The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1662 - 1663

by Samuel Pepys, Henry Morley (Edited by)

On 1 January 1660, Pepys began to keep a diary. He recorded his daily life for almost ten years. This record of a decade of Pepys's life is more than a million words long and is often regarded as Britain's most celebrated diary. Pepys has been called the greatest diarist of all time due to his frankness in writing concerning his own weaknesses and the accuracy with which he records events of daily British life and major events in the 17th century. Pepys wrote about the contemporary court and theatre (including his amorous affairs with the actresses), his household, and major political and social occurrences.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1886

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

[Whichcord · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a godsend! I've been meaning to read these diaries for years but found the language and sheer length daunting. These volumes have given me a way into the books and I now read them in tandem with the Latham edition. They provide fascinating context and a clear version of what's going on when the syntax is sometimes difficult to decipher in the original. They have opened up a whole world for me and I now read all sorts of books about seventeenth century England as a result. I've visited to Pepys' Library in Cambridge to see his books and The National Archives to see the original documents Pepys wrote while carrying out his Navy business. I cannot sing the praises of this series enough. It has enriched my life! When are the books covering 1664-1669 coming out??