Samuel Johnson is no doubt a giant among literary giants: poet and essayist, moralist and conversationalist, and dictionary creator. But Meyers (author and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature) takes readers past Johnson's intellect to reveal him as a man filled with contradiction who suffered from severe depression, physical and mental ailments, and a mercurial personality. The author took advantage of archives, letters, and manuscripts as well as recently uncovered information about his physical deformities and their effects on his life. The book is both interesting and lively reading. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
