Rare Books Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell 1977 Britannica Great Books Series Biography Books English Literature Gift Books

This is a near fine (almost like new) hardcover. Encyclopedia Britannica 1977 21st Printing. This volume is like new inside and out. The inside pages are crisp and clean with no markings seen. The bindings are tight and straight, like new. Tan hardcover boards with blue quarter trim are also near fine with barely a hint of shelf wear. Medium octavo book size or 6.5" x 9.5" with 618 pages including index.

Great Books of the Western World by Encyclopedia Britannica was originally published in 1952 as a 54 volume set. The idea of the series was to present great books of the western world that were relevant to contemporary matters with important historical content. They were intended to be part of a conversation about great ideas and literature. They were re-issued in 1990 in a 60 volume set with some titles added and some titles left out. The idea for the series began at the University of Chicago where a course was developed with the idea of a round table approach for reading and discussing great books. The purpose was to fill the gaps in education and afford a well-rounded intellect familiar with the great works of the Western Canon along with great ideas.

Initial reception was poor but the first sets were gifted to Queen Elizabeth ll of England and President Harry Truman. Time magazine did a piece on the set featuring Mortimer J. Adler, Editor in Chief, who was integral to the university course and the subsequent set of books. Soon, the popularity of the series soared. The series features works from ancient classics to modern masterpieces.

This volume is The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. by James Boswell. Written in 1791, this is the bio of English writer Samuel Johnson. It has been considered one of the greatest English biographies, notable for its success and extensive coverage of Johnson;s conversations. But, the author took liberties in his writing and even changed or censored some comments. It is still an important work on Johnson and his times.

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