Books

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1887 . First edition. Leather. Near Fine. 9" by 6.5". Not Stated. James Boswell's complete six volume biography of Samuel Johnson, beautifully bound in half calf, and illustrated throughout. The first edition of this work to be edited by George Birkbeck Hill. In beautiful signed half calf bindings from Frost & Co. of Bath, this is an excellent and complete six volume set of James Boswell's biography of English writer Dr. Samuel Johnson. The first edition thus, being the first edition edited by George Birkbeck Hill, and including both Boswell's 'Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides', and Johnson's 'Diary of a Journey into North Wales'.Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait to four volumes, two further engraved plates, and six folding plates. Collated, complete.A landmark work in the development of the modern biography in English, many have claimed it as the greatest biography ever written. Nevertheless, this biography takes many critical liberties with…

Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. is a biography of Dr. Samuel Johnson written by James Boswell. It is regarded as an important stage in the development of the modern genre of biography and has been described as the greatest biography written in English.

First editions of 'Life of Samuel Johnson' are printed by William Strahan in 1791 with two volumes. They can be identified by their full leather binding and the date on the title page.