Historical Context
The English Civil War
The seventeenth century witnessed many governmental changes for England. The first war, which began the...
(The entire section is 993 words.)
Literary Style
Description
Pepys narrates his memoirs in an honest reporting style noted by critics as unlike any other diary in history. Pepys...
(The entire section is 514 words.)
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Coote, Stephen, Samuel Pepys: A Life, Palgrave, 2001, pp. 65, 81, 104.
Gosse, Edmund, ‘‘Prose...
(The entire section is 327 words.)
Bibliography
(Masterpieces of World Literature, Critical Edition)
Morshead, O. F. Introduction to The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Selections, edited by O. F. Morshead. New York: Harper & Row, 1960. Offers a brief biography of Pepys and his family, a publishing history of the diaries, and commentary on the diaries’ content. Notes Pepys’ energy, his artless style, and his surprising frankness.
Ollard, Richard. Pepys: A Biography. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1974. Offers clarification to readers who need additional information about topics to which the diaries allude. Focuses particularly on Pepys’ politics and his position in the admiralty.
Sutherland, James....
(The entire section is 204 words.)
Compare and Contrast
1660s: London is ravaged by two disasters: the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. London experiences heavy...
(The entire section is 203 words.)
Topics for Further Study
Research the types and styles of entertainment most popular during the 1660s, then compare this to the types of popular entertainment...
(The entire section is 252 words.)
Media Adaptations
The Diary of Samuel Pepys was produced as an audio book in 1996 by the HighBridge Company. The book is read by Kenneth Branagh.
(The entire section is 23 words.)
What Do I Read Next?
Samuel Pepys: The Years of Peril, 1669–1683, by Arthur Bryant, is a book that discusses the next set of historical events after...
(The entire section is 257 words.)