Christopher Hibbert draws on every known contemporary source to provide a minutely detailed look of the fascinating writer Samuel Johnson. Using facts and anecdotes, Hibbert delivers intimate glimpses into Johnson’s time as a schoolboy, his eccentricities as an undergraduate at Oxford, his struggle as a poor writer in London, and his slow rise to the legendary figure with a court of admirers and a steady stream of visitors.

Hibbert combines personal stories with an examination Johnson’s writing, offering a compelling and readable account.