Life of Samuel Johnson
The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. is James Boswell's biography of his friend Samuel Johnson, first published in London on 16 May 1791 in two quarto volumes printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, in 1,750 copies. A second edition, in three octavo volumes, followed in 1793.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First edition
- Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, 1791
- First published
- Charles Dilly (printed by Henry Baldwin), London, 1791
The first edition of Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell was published in London by Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly in 1791. We track 1 edition.
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First edition
- 1st Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly1791 Hardback I own The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly 1791 Log in to want this
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Awards, adaptations and setting
Setting and characters
- Characters
- Hodge
- Genre
- biography
In print
- Editions recorded
- 238 on Open Library, 224 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 8 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of Life of Samuel Johnson?
The first edition of Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell was published in London by Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly in 1791.
How many editions of Life of Samuel Johnson are there?
We track 1 edition of Life of Samuel Johnson, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- Life of Samuel Johnson, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1791), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
- The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., first edition, Bauman Rare Books (baumanrarebooks.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 12 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.