John Evelyn and His World
John Evelyn and His World by John Bowle, published by Sapere Books in 2022, offers a detailed biography of the notable Restoration diarist John Evelyn. Spanning 358 pages, this work explores Evelyn’s insatiable curiosity and diverse interests, including nature, science, and the arts. Recognized primarily for his contributions to English gardening and forestry, Evelyn’s writings reflect his experiences during significant historical events, such as the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the Great Fire of London.
In this biography, Bowle draws from Evelyn’s extensive writings to illuminate his personality and the context of his life in the seventeenth century. Readers will find insights into Evelyn’s relationships with prominent figures of his time, including Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren, as well as his role within the Royal Society. The book presents a comprehensive view of Evelyn’s contributions to various fields, making it a valuable resource for those interested in biography and historical narratives.
Official synopsis Publisher
An impressive biography of the celebrated Restoration diarist John Evelyn. Perfect for readers of Claire Tomalin, Margaret Willes and Peter Ackroyd.
John Evelyn (1620-1706) was a man with an insatiable curiosity.
A keen reader and avid traveller, Evelyn had an unquenchable thirst for new knowledge in nature, science and the arts. He wrote and published on a huge range of topics, including theology, music and architecture, although today he is principally recognised as a pioneer of English gardening and forestry, his Sylva, or a Discourse of Forest Trees bringing him fame in his lifetime.
A friend of Samuel Pepys, Robert Boyle and Christopher Wren, and patron of Grinling Gibbons, Evelyn was in high favour at the court of King Charles II and a valued member of the Royal Society, both of which presented curiosities to Evelyn’s observant eye and vivid pen. He lived through turbulent times, writing in his Diaries of the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the plague, the Great Fire of London, the Popish Plot and the Glorious Revolution.
Historian John Bowle draws upon Evelyn’s many and varied writings to bring to life the personality of John Evelyn in the context of his times, producing a fascinating and rewarding picture of the man and his world.
John Evelyn and His World is an authoritative literary biography of one of seventeenth-century England’s great diarists.
‘an entertaining, readable account’ The American Historical Review
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