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The Strange History of Samuel Pepys's Diary

Kate Loveman author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Publishing:31st Mar '25

£22.00

This title is due to be published on 31st March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

The Strange History of Samuel Pepys's Diary cover

Engagingly explores the creation, publication, and reception of England's most famous diary.

Kate Loveman explores the creation of the most famous English diary, how it came to be published, and the many remarkable roles it has since played in British culture. In so doing, she shows how Pepys's own strange history has become part of the history of the nation.During the 1660s, Samuel Pepys kept a secret diary full of intimate details and political scandal. Had the contents been revealed, they could have destroyed his marriage, ended his career, and seen him arrested. This engaging book explores the creation of the most famous journal in the English language, how it came to be published in 1825, and the many remarkable roles it has played in British culture since then. Kate Loveman – one of the few people who can read Pepys's shorthand – unlocks the riddles of the diary, investigating why he chose to preserve such private matters for later generations. She also casts fresh light on the women and sexual relationships in Pepys's life and on Black Britons living in or near his household. Exploring the many inventive uses to which the diary has been put, Loveman shows how Pepys's history became part of the history of the nation.

ISBN: 9781009554114

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

254 pages