The autobiography of Arthur Young : with selections from his correspondence

A forthright voice guides listeners through the restless life of a quintessentially English observer of the late‑eighteenth century. From a modest rural upbringing he launches into a series of ventures—apprenticeship, marriage, and a bold turn to farming—while weaving friendships with literary giants and reformers across Britain and the continent. His keen eye records the bustle of market towns, the hum of experimental agriculture, and the hum of diplomatic salons in France, Poland, and Scandinavia, all rendered with a candid, almost conversational tone.

The memoir also reveals the personal currents that shape his world: youthful love, the pressures of family expectations, and the mounting grief after the loss of his beloved daughter. Within these pages, his reflections on religion, social reform, and his own doubts offer a nuanced portrait of a man both ambitious and deeply introspective. Listeners will find a richly textured portrait of a thinker whose experiences illuminate the complexities of an era in transition.