Samuel Pepys, 1974, Series 561 (Blue)

Samuel Pepys was the 36th title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach, illustrated by Roger Hall after John Kenney (Peach’s erstwhile artist collaborator) retired due to ill-health.

Pepys’s life and diary is used in the book as the backdrop to document the history and great social changes that took place after the republic, with the Restoration, the Great Plague and Great Fire of London.  This book was never issued with a dust-wrapper but a first edition will have the traditional full-colour boards.

This book has the later style blue window-style front cover and is in very good condition inside and out.  Some rubbing to spine edges.  Every light mark to the white of the front cover shows up – but the boards have had quite light wear and the book has very nice, clean, tight pages.  It dates to the late 1970s but doesn’t have an original price  on the back.  A nice copy of a hard-to-find title.