Selections from James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, Chosen and Edited by R W Chapman

This volume represents an editorial undertaking by R. W. Chapman, a distinguished scholar and secretary to the delegates of the Oxford University Press. Published in the mid-20th century, the collection was curated to distill the expansive narrative of James Boswell’s original 1791 masterpiece into a more accessible format for general readers. By carefully selecting the most salient anecdotes and reflections from the life of Samuel Johnson, Chapman aimed to preserve the wit and intellectual vitality of the original text while providing a manageable entry point into the foundational biography of English literature.

The editorial philosophy behind this selection reflects the mid-century academic tradition of making classic English prose more widely available to students and the public. Chapman, known for his meticulous work on Jane Austen, brought a rigorous yet appreciative hand to the editing process. The work was received as a respectful and effective abridgment, valued for its ability to capture the essence of Johnson’s personality and the intimate nature of his friendship with Boswell without the daunting length of the unabridged multi-volume biography.