The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Volume I: 1660-1663
“Not many listeners are so thrilled by the minutiae of seventeenth-century English life that they will want to devote more than 115 hours to listening to this classic journal—but those who stick it out will be well rewarded. Narrator Leighton Pugh’s portrayal of Pepys is sometimes confiding, sometimes whiny, sometimes meditative about religion and politics, but always human. For ten years, while Pepys was on the margins of the great actions of his time, he recorded every day’s events. From the discovery of a new public toilet to the restoration of King Charles II and the Great Fire of London, Pepys wrote down what he saw, and Pugh keeps it all lively. David Timson ably reads the historical introductions to each year.”
AudioFile, combined review of volumes 1-3
The Diary of Samuel Pepys is one of the most entertaining documents in English history. Written between 1660 and 1669, as Pepys was establishing himself as a key administrator in the naval office, it is an intimate portrait of life in seventeenth-century England. Pepys’ diary covers his professional and personal activities, including, famously, his love of music, theater, food, wine, and his peccadilloes.
This is the first of three volumes of the diary published in its entirety. It covers the opening years of the Restoration and introduces us to many of the key characters—family, government, and royalty. Pepys was present when Charles II returned to England, and he lived through those opening years of the Stuart monarchy. He also recorded the reopening of theaters and how England relaxed from years of the Puritan way of life.
Praise