A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides PDF

Author: Samuel Johnson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2020-10-22

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 0192519557

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In 1773, James Boswell made a long-planned journey across the Scottish Highlands with his English friend Samuel Johnson; the two spent more than a hundred days together. Their tour of the Hebrides resulted in two books, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775), a kind of locodescriptive ethnography and Johnson's most important work between his Shakespeare edition and his Lives of the Poets. The other, Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson (1785), a travel narrative experimenting with biography, the first application of the techniques he would use in his Life of Samuel Johnson (1791). These two works form a natural pair and, owing that they cover much of the same material, are often read together, focusing on the Scottish highlands. The text presents a lightly-edited version of both works, preserving the original orthography and corrected typographical errors to fit modern grammar standards. The introduction and notes provide clear and concise explanations on Johnson and Boswell's respective careers, their friendship and grand biographical projects. It also examines the Scottish Enlightenment, the status of England and Scotland during the Reformation through to the Union of the Crowns, and the Jacobite

A Journey To The Western Islands Of Scotland

A Journey To The Western Islands Of Scotland PDF

Author: Samuel Johnson

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2023-08-01

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 9359392723

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"A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland" is a travel narrative written by Samuel Johnson. The book describes the journey Johnson took with his friend James Boswell to the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides. The primary purpose of their journey was to explore and document the customs, landscapes, and people of Scotland. Johnson, a renowned English writer and lexicographer, provides detailed observations and reflections on the places they visited, including cities like Edinburgh and Inverness, as well as remote islands such as Skye and Mull. He describes the rugged beauty of the Scottish landscape, the customs and traditions of the Highlanders, and engages in conversations with local inhabitants, scholars, and nobles. The book also explores Johnson's thoughts on Scottish history, literature, and society, offering both praise and criticism. Johnson's wit and intellectual depth shine through as he navigates the challenges of travel, engages in spirited debates with Boswell, and shares his insights on various subjects. "A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland" is considered one of Johnson's most engaging and influential works. It provides a valuable historical and cultural account of Scotland during the 18th century and offers readers a glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest literary figures of the time.

To The Hebrides

To The Hebrides PDF

Author: Samuel Johnson

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2012-09-28

Total Pages: 609

ISBN-13: 0857905163

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Samuel Johnson's Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and James Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides are widely regarded as among the best pieces of travel writing ever produced. Johnson and Boswell spent the autumn of 1773 touring Scotland as far west as the islands of Skye, Raasay, Coll, Mull, Ulva, Inchkenneth and Iona. Highly readable, often profound, and at times very funny, their accounts of the 'jaunt' are above all a valuable record of a society undergoing rapid change. In this pioneering new edition, Ronald Black brings together the two men's starkly contrasting accounts of each of the thirteen stages of the journey. He also restores to Boswell's text 20,000 words from his journal which were denied entry to his book because they were intimate, defamatory, or about the islands rather than Johnson. The endnotes incorporate Boswell's footnotes, translations of Latin passages, a clear summary of pre-existing information on the two texts, and a fresh focus on what the two men actually found on their trip. To the Hebrides also includes contemporary prints by Thomas Rowlandson, seventeen new maps and a comprehensive index.