And so to bed.

I was surprised how entertaining these entries were; not only that I felt I learnt a lot about the everyday lives of Pepys, his friends and his work but also the politcal situation of his times. Major events like the plague and the Great Fire are of course well known, but other events like the war with the Dutch were made major concerns too because of Pepys' position in the naval office. The diaries were only written for ten years. but these were important and uncertain times beginning with the end of the Commonwealth and the return of the king, Charles II.

Pepys warts and all comes across as a warm, charming, caring and sometimes weak but honest human being with weakness which can only be forgiven because we are the intruders reading his very private and personal record of his life and times.

It is well-read and the excerpts are introduced by the narrator who fills in the gaps for us. Pepys' diaries have wit, excitement and, surprisingly, food. These extracts are definitely worth listening to as an introduction to the man and his times.

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