Making Boswell's Life of Johnson: An Author-Publisher and His Support Network

This Element sheds new light on James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson by investigating its early publication history. Despite precarious circumstances, Boswell was the author and publisher of the 1791 two-volume quarto edition. The success of the first edition was due to collaboration with a devoted support network, including bookseller Charles Dilly, printer Henry Baldwin, newspaper and magazine editors, The Club, and Sir William Forbes. The resilient Boswellian network secured the book's exalted reputation despite the muddled second edition (1793).

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 24 August 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This Element sheds new light on James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson by delving into its early publication history. Despite precarious psychological and financial circumstances and other limitations, Boswell served as both author and publisher of the two-volume quarto edition that graced the shelves in 1791. This study employs little-known documents to explore the intricacies and ramifications of Boswell's daring endeavor. It contends that the success of the inaugural edition was the culmination of Boswell's biographical brilliance and the collaborative efforts of a dedicated support network. This network included the bookseller Charles Dilly, the printer Henry Baldwin and his employees, several newspaper and magazine editors, Boswell's esteemed Gang (Edmond Malone, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and John Courtenay), and other members of The Club, as well as Sir William Forbes. While the muddled second edition (1793) suffered from Boswell's escalating dysfunction in the years preceding his death in 1795, the resilient Boswellian network subsequently secured the book's exalted reputation.

ISBN-13: 9781009271424