This biography of Samuel Pepys, the most famous diarist of all time, provides the key to the contrasts and contradictions of Pepys' character and draws together the threads running through his life to reveal the man behind the famous diary. Pepys was a boy during the Civil War and a student during the Protectorate. He witnessed the Restoration, the Dutch Wars, the Plague, the Fire of London and the Glorious Revolution. As a result, his diary of life has continued to be one of the most important historical documents.