James Boswell | |
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![]() Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1785 | |
Born | N.S.)[1] Edinburgh, Scotland | 29 October 1740 (
Died | 19 May 1795 London, England | (aged 54)
Occupation | Lawyer, diarist, biographer |
Alma mater | |
Notable works | Life of Johnson |
Spouse | |
Children |
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James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (/ˈbɒzwɛl, -wəl/; 29 October 1740 (N.S.)[1] – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, Life of Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language.[2][3] A great mass of Boswell's diaries, letters, and private papers were recovered from the 1920s to the 1950s, and their ongoing publication by Yale University has transformed his reputation.