Horace Walpole and His World: Select Passages from His Letters

A vivid portrait of eighteenth‑century England emerges from this carefully chosen assortment of Horace Walpole’s correspondence. The letters, written over six decades, reveal the mind of a man who moved effortlessly between politics, art, and the social whirl of his day, offering candid observations that range from the grand to the everyday. Readers will hear his witty, sometimes self‑aware voice as he comments on everything from parliamentary debates to the latest fashions at court.

Beyond the sparkle of anecdotes, the selection serves as a window onto the cultural and intellectual currents that shaped the era. Walpole’s keen eye records the rise of the novel, the debates over the slave trade, and the construction of his famed Strawberry Hill, all filtered through a personal style that blends humor with thoughtful critique. Listeners will come away with a richer sense of the period’s complexities, as expressed by one of its most prolific and entertaining letter‑writers.