The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1664
by Samuel Pepys
'The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1664' Summary
Aside from day-to-day activities, Pepys also commented on the significant and turbulent events of his nation. England was in disarray when he began writing his diary. Oliver Cromwell had died just a few years before, creating a period of civil unrest and a large power vacuum to be filled. Pepys had been a strong supporter of Cromwell, but he converted to the Royalist cause upon the Protector's death. He was on the ship that returned Charles II to England to take up his throne, and gave first-hand accounts of other significant events from the early years of the Restoration, such as the coronation of Charles II, the Great Plague, the Great Fire of London and the Anglo–Dutch Wars.
Pepys did not plan on his contemporaries ever seeing his diary, which is evident from the fact that he wrote in shorthand and sometimes in a "code" of various Spanish, French, and Italian words (especially when describing his illicit affairs). However, Pepys often juxtaposed profanities in his native English amidst his "code" of foreign words, a practice which would reveal the details to any casual reader. He did intend future generations to see the diary, as evidenced by its inclusion in his library and its catalogue before his death along with the shorthand guide he used and the elaborate planning by which he ensured his library survived intact after his death.
The women whom he pursued, his friends, and his dealings are all laid out. His diary reveals his jealousies, insecurities, trivial concerns, and his fractious relationship with his wife. It has been an important account of London in the 1660s. The juxtaposition of his commentary on politics and national events, alongside the very personal, can be seen from the beginning.
Book Details
Author
Samuel Pepys
England
Samuel Pepys was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no m...
More on Samuel PepysDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front 1914-1915 by Anonymous
The nurse in question went out to France at the beginning of the war and remained there until May 1915 after the second battle of Ypres when she went...
War and Women by Mabel Annie Stobart
A gripping account of a woman's bravery and determination to help those in need in the midst of war. Mabel Annie Stobart was a pioneering British aid...
Reminiscences of a Southern Hospital, by Its Matron by Phoebe Pember
Phoebe Yates Pember served as a matron in the Confederate Chimborazo military hospital in Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War, overseeing a dieta...
Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchief by James Fenimore Cooper
It is a satirical novel that takes readers on an unusual journey through the eyes of a handkerchief. The book is a fictional account of the life of a...
A Soldier's Diary by Ralph Scott
This 1923 memoir of a World War I soldier (Royal Engineer and hand-to-hand combatant) is a well written much respected first-hand account of the bruta...
Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show by Samuel R. Watkins
Samuel “Sam” Rush Watkins was a noted Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. He is known today for his memoir Company Aytch: Or, a Side Sh...
The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1665 by Samuel Pepys
It is a fascinating primary source document chronicling the everyday life of the English administrator and member of Parliament, Samuel Pepys, during...
A Diary from Dixie by Mary Boykin Chesnut
Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut, a well-educated South Carolina woman who was married to a Confederate general, kept extensive journals during the Civil Wa...
In the North Woods of Maine by Elmer Erwin Thomas
It takes readers on a journey through the stunning wilderness of Maine, offering a unique perspective on the natural world and its relationship to hum...
Memoir, Correspondence and Miscellanies, Volume I by Thomas Jefferson
It is a collection of personal writings by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. This book includes a compilation of his persona...
Reviews for The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1664
No reviews posted or approved, yet...