Though no king or great general, thanks to his diary Samuel Pepys is one of the most interesting characters in history. His life encompassed happenings of huge historical and human impact - the execution of Charles I and the Great Fire of London to name but two. Voices from the World of Samuel Pepys captures the spirit of Restoration London, as it grew to become a major centre of international commerce and culture. It provides accounts of all aspects of contemporary life, from the arts and entertainment, to politics and religion. The book takes Pepys' diary, which he kept almost daily from 1660-1669, as its central resource, but also includes 'voices' from all levels of society, taken from a wide variety of contemporaneous sources.