Boswell, James
Boswell, James (1740–95) Scottish biographer and writer. As a young man, he travelled widely in Europe, meeting Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. An inveterate hero-worshipper, Boswell found his vocation as the friend and biographer of Samuel Johnson. His monumental Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) is regarded not only as his masterpiece but also one of the greatest biographies in English. Boswell's other works include An Account of Corsica (1768) and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides (1785), an account of his travels with Johnson. His often disconcertingly frank journals paint a colourful picture of contemporary life. See also biography
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Boswell, James
