Pepys' Diaries have long been in my "to read" pile. I admit they have always intimidated me, for some obscure, irrational reason. Samuel Pepys was a civil servant, man about town, knowledge lover (in fact, a founding member of the Royal Society), pleasure seeker and able maneuverer of intrigues. He also kept a detailed diary through out his life, which spanned the end of Cromwell's Protectorate, the Reformation, the Great Fire of London and even saw William of Orange land in England. How is that for an accomplished and interesting man?
Geoffrey Trease writes a simple, straightforward introduction to the Diaries. He shows both the great historical events and the small, everyday situations Pepys faced, placing him both as an important public person and a petty man. Most of all, he shows us how human Pepys is and how honest his writing.
I now have a much better view of the world the Diaries fit into and a good context for Pepys and many of the people around him. I feel much more confident to tackle the Diaries themselves.
Note - you can download this book on a Kindle for free: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samuel-Pepys-World-Geoffrey-Trease/dp/0500130361 I imagine there are other free sources as well.
Samuel Pepys Diaries themselves are looong out of copyright and can be downloaded from several places.
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