"THE SHAKESPEARE OF BIOGRAPHERS"

BOSWELL, James. The Life of Samuel Johnson. London: Isaac Pitman and Sons, 1907. Two volumes. Large octavo, mid-20th century three-quarter brown morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, raised bands, top edges gilt. $1250.

1907 two-volume edition of Boswell’s celebrated biography of Samuel Johnson, with over 550 illustrations, including 12 photogravure plates, handsomely bound.

"Boswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation… It was a crucial part of Boswell's magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait, together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture, that made him… 'the Shakespeare of biographers" (Baugh et al., 1065-66). With frontispiece portrait of Johnson from a mezzotint after Sir Joshua Reynolds. Illustrated with reproductions of portraits and manuscripts as well as landscape and architectural scenes. First published in 1791. Bookplates.

Interiors generally fresh with light scattered foxing, minor edge-wear to boards. A near-fine copy.