Isaac Disraeli

Born in Enfield in 1766, Isaac D'Israeli was an English writer and scholar who became known for his essays, literary history, and wide reading. He spent much of his life among books and men of letters, developing a style that made learned subjects feel conversational and enjoyable.

His best-known work is Curiosities of Literature, a long-running collection of essays that explores anecdotes, authors, forgotten texts, and the habits of readers and writers. He also wrote works such as Amenities of Literature and Calamities of Authors, which helped make him a familiar name to readers interested in the stories behind books.

D'Israeli died in 1848 in Buckinghamshire. He is often remembered as the father of Benjamin Disraeli, but he stands on his own as a graceful and engaging guide to the literary world of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Britain.