Paul Kendall

The life of politician and diarist Samuel Pepys spanned seven decades, meaning he bore witness to many groundbreaking events such as the execution of King Charles I in 1649 and the Glorious Revolution in 1688. His famous diary was written between 1660 and 1669 and provides fascinating detail on the world around him, from the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 to the plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. This invaluable record of life in seventeenth-century England offers an intriguing insight into the politics, court life, defence of the realm and commerce of the period as well as day-to-day living. He describes visits to coffee houses, taverns, theatres, bear pits and, with incredible candour, brothels. Here Pepys’ life and diary is detailed through the places and objects associated with him. Visit the locations where Pepys resided and worked, the dockyards he inspected at Woolwich and Chatham, as well as the churches where he worshipped and the coffee houses and taverns he frequented. Examine items such as the bills of mortality Pepys read during the plague, his wig, the church steeple from which he observed the Great Fire, and his will. Full of quirky facts and fascinating illustrations, this book transports you back to seventeenth-century London through places and objects central to Pepys’ life.

The author of six novels, Jane Austen continues to enamour her readers more than two-hundred years after she wrote them. Now a global phenomenon, her books have sold millions of copies and sparked countless film and tv-drama adaptations in a multitude of languages. This book takes you on a tour of the many places associated with Jane Austen, from the homes she lived in Steventon, Bath and Chawton to the school she was educated at in Reading. Follow in her footsteps where she socialised, such as Sydney Gardens and the Assembly Rooms and Pump Room, Bath, and explore the myriad locations mentioned in her books. Discover where she spent her holidays in towns such as Lyme Regis and Worthing and where she worshipped at St Nicholas’ Church, Steventon. Personal objects belonging to Jane are detailed here, including her writing desk and table, her donkey cart and her ivory spool case. The memorials to her at Winchester Abbey and in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, and her statues in Basingstoke and at St Nicholas’ Church, Chawton, are also featured.With beautiful illustrations and packed with fascinating facts and entertaining anecdotes, this book transports you back to the Regency era and celebrates the life of one of England’s most-renowned authors.