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A uniformly bound set of this well known biography regarded as an important stage in the development of the modern genre of biography; with many claiming it to be the greatest biography written in English. New edition, with numerous additions and notes, by John Wilson Croker. Henry G. Bohn's 1835 edition was originally published in ten volumes. This new edition is complete in eight volumes, with the last two volumes of this set holding "Johnsoniana A Collection of Miscellaneous Anecdotes and Sayings of Samuel Johnson", which are complete within themselves. Adorned with a beautiful frontispiece from the original 1835 edition, engraved title page to each volume. Holding thirty-four of the original forty plates, several of which that are folding. When the Life of Samuel Johnson was published in 1791 it at once commanded the admiration that Boswell had sought for so long, and it has since suffered no diminution. Its style was unique in that, unlike other biographies of that era, it directly incorporated conversations that Boswell had noted down at the time for his journals. He also included far more personal and human details than those to which contemporary readers were accustomed. Instead of writing a respectful and dry record of Johnson's public life in the style of the time, he painted a vivid portrait of the complete man, brought to life through a 'dramatic' style of dialogue. It has often been described as the greatest biography ever written. It has often been asked how a man such as Boswell could have produced so remarkable a work as the Life of Johnson. Among those who attempted an answer were Macaulay and Carlyle: the former argued that Boswell's uninhibited folly and candour were his greatest qualifications; the latter replied that beneath such traits was a mind to discern excellence and a heart to appreciate it, aided by the power of accurate observation and considerable dramatic ability. Holding The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson, the renowned travel journal of Boswell and Johnson's journey from Edinburgh, through the eastern and northeastern coasts of Scotland, passing through St Andrews, Aberdeen and Inverness. They then passed into the highlands and spent several weeks on various islands in the Hebrides, including Skye, Coll, and Mull. The work is based on a diary Boswell had kept during the 1773 tour and included detailed descriptions of where he and Johnson had gone and what Johnson had said. Rebound in half calf bindings with cloth covered boards. A workman-like binding but sound with somewhat shakey hand written spines. Externally, generally smart, with only some light rubbing. Internally, firmly bound, bright and generally clean, with only some very light foxing affecting some of the plates and endpapers. Very Good.
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