James Boswell

This lively portrait follows the restless energy of a young Scot whose family roots stretch back to Norman knights and Scottish barons. Born into modest means yet steeped in a tradition of self‑assertion, Boswell hones his wit and ambition amid Edinburgh’s bustling streets and the spirited debates of its literary clubs. His fateful meeting with Samuel Johnson in the early 1760s ignites a friendship that will define his life and provide the material for his enduring masterpiece, The Life of Johnson.

Leask weaves together Boswell’s early travels to the continent, his flirtations with love, and his enthusiastic participation in the era’s intellectual societies. The biography draws on unpublished letters and Boswell’s own commonplace book, offering fresh details that challenge long‑standing judgments. Listeners will come away with a vivid sense of the man behind the diary, his relentless curiosity, and the social world that shaped his remarkable legacy.