The work of James Boswell (1740–95) is so well known that the dictionary defines "Boswell" as "a person who records in detail the life of a usually famous contemporary."

In his case, the famous contemporary was Samuel Johnson, and Boswell's record of the great sage's life - combining memoir, conversation, and historical record - created a startlingly new and intimate approach that forever changed the genre of biography.

With the 20th-century publication of his long-lost London Journal, Boswell emerged from behind Johnson's substantial shadow to prove himself as fascinating a subject as his friend and mentor.