Boswell’s London Journal 1762–1763 | 1950 First Edition Yale University Press | Edited by Frederick A. Pottle

A landmark publication in literary scholarship and one of the most important Boswell editions of the 20th century.

Published in 1950 by McGraw-Hill Book Company for Yale University, this first edition of Boswell’s London Journal: 1762–1763 introduced readers to a long-lost private diary of Scottish author and biographer James Boswell. Edited by renowned Yale scholar Frederick A. Pottle, the volume became an immediate literary sensation upon publication and marked the beginning of Yale University’s monumental Boswell Papers project.

Written when Boswell was only twenty-two years old, the journal captures his arrival in London as he pursued a literary career and first encountered Samuel Johnson, the towering figure who would later become the subject of Boswell’s celebrated biography. Frank, observant, witty, and deeply personal, the diary records Boswell’s ambitions, insecurities, friendships, romances, and intellectual growth with remarkable honesty and detail. Historians and literary scholars continue to regard the journal as one of the great firsthand portraits of 18th-century London society.

This handsome Yale edition features blue cloth boards with the Boswell crest stamped to the front cover, gilt lettering along the spine, and beautifully illustrated map endpapers depicting London during Boswell’s era. The 370-page hardcover book remains in very good to excellent condition with secure binding, clean pages, light shelf wear, and minor rubbing consistent with age and handling.

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