author
Sir Roger L'Estrange
1616–1704
A fierce royalist polemicist and one of England’s earliest professional journalists, he spent much of his life at the center of political and print battles. His writing helped shape Restoration debate, mixing sharp satire with a relentless defense of monarchy and authority.
2 Audiobooks
Selections from the Observator (1681-1687)
by Sir Roger L'Estrange
Citt and Bumpkin (1680)
by Sir Roger L'Estrange
About the author
Born in Norfolk in 1616, Sir Roger L'Estrange lived through the upheavals of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth, and the Restoration. He backed the royalist cause, was imprisoned during the 1640s, and later returned to favor after Charles II was restored to the throne.
L'Estrange became famous as a pamphleteer, translator, and press censor. He held official power over printing and used both journalism and political writing to defend the monarchy and attack its opponents. His periodical The Observator is often noted as an important early example of English political journalism.
He was a deeply controversial figure in his own time, admired by supporters for his energy and loyalty and disliked by critics for his aggressive style and role in policing the press. Today he is remembered as a vivid, combative voice of Restoration England and a revealing figure in the history of news, censorship, and political argument.