Originally published in 1930, the main focus of this concise volume is on the figure of Samuel Johnson, particularly in terms of his relationship with the surrounding cultural climate of the eighteenth century. Four essays on Johnson constitute the main part of the text, and this section is bookended by portraits of George Lyttelton and Thomas Macaulay, which serves to contextualise Johnson's position as the pre-eminent figure of the time. This is a a highly readable book, which deploys a vast array of knowledge in a subtle and unobtrusive manner, providing a well-rounded interpretation of the Augustan age that will be of value to anyone with an interest in Johnson and his milieu.
