Boswell's Life of Johnson Abridged and edited, with an introduction by Charles Grosvenor Osgood

"Boswell's Life of Johnson" by James Boswell is a biography that explores the life of Samuel Johnson, an important writer from 18th-century England, through the eyes of his friend, James Boswell. Boswell shares Johnson's achievements and challenges, giving readers a good look at his personality using stories and talks. The beginning of the book shows how carefully Boswell wrote the biography, wanting to be real and accurate in showing Johnson's ideas and talks with people. Boswell thinks about what he gave up to write down Johnson's conversations correctly, which paints a picture of life and thinking in the 1700s. Moving forward, the book starts to explain Johnson's early life and the events that helped shape his successful life, making a detailed picture of a talented man who also faced tough times.