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Article: Boswell, James (1740–1795)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
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BOSWELL, JAMES (1740
–
1795)
BOSWELL, JAMES
(1740
–
1795), Scottish biographer, lawyer, and man of letters. James Boswell is most famous as the author of the
Life of Samuel Johnson
(1791), perhaps the most celebrated biography in the English language. He was the eldest son of Alexander Boswell, judge and laird of Auchinleck, whose title came from the family estate in Ayrshire, western Scotland. Following his father's advice, Boswell agreed to study law at the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, but, lacking enthusiasm, in 1762 he traveled to London seeking a commission in the Foot Guards and, much to his father's disapproval, a more active and glamorous life in the higher ...