An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

James Boswell

4 books referenced

Books by James Boswell

Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

Referenced in 1 episode

652. London’s Golden Age: The Ghosts of Culloden (Part 3)

March 16, 2026

Context:

Boswell wrote this book based on the journal he kept during the trip with Johnson, providing his own account of their journey to the Hebrides.

A Tour to Corsica

Referenced in 1 episode

651. London’s Golden Age: Sex and Scandal in Georgian Britain (Part 2)

March 12, 2026

Context:

Boswell wrote up his travels in Corsica as a book which was published and became a great success, winning him the nickname 'Corsica Boswell.'

The Life of Samuel Johnson

Referenced in 2 episodes

650. London’s Golden Age: The Mad Life of Dr Johnson (Part 1)

March 09, 2026

Context:

Described as the greatest and most influential biography in the English language, and Tom Holland's personal desert island book, calling it 'incredibly entertaining' and like watching a 'fly on the wall documentary.'

382. Young Napoleon: Teenage Revolutionary (Part 1)

October 30, 2023

Context:

Boswell is mentioned as 'the biographer of Samuel Johnson' in the context of discussing his admiration for Corsica and Pasquale Paoli

Life of Johnson

Referenced in 1 episode

492. The War on Beards: From Peter the Great to John Lennon (Part 2)

September 09, 2024

Context:

Described as containing 'one of my favorite passages' about how every man has his own technique for shaving