WRITER
James Boswell
1740 - 1795

James Boswell
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 (N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, Life of Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language. A great mass of Boswell's diaries, letters, and private papers were recovered from the 1920s to the 1950s, and their publication by Yale University has transformed his reputation. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. James Boswell is the 2,417th most popular writer (down from 2,124th in 2019), the 2,062nd most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 1,601st in 2019) and the 231st most popular British Writer.
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Among WRITERS
Among writers, James Boswell ranks 2,417 out of 7,302. Before him are Abdulah Sidran, Gabriel Matzneff, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Al-Sharif al-Radi, Alexander Fadeyev, and Renaud Camus. After him are Esaias Tegnér, Marius Aventicensis, Samuil Marshak, Antiochus Kantemir, Isaac Alfasi, and Lucilius Junior.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAbdulah Sidran
1944 - 2024
HPI: 62.02
Rank: 2,411
Gabriel Matzneff
1936 - Present
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,412
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
662 - 710
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,413
Al-Sharif al-Radi
970 - 1015
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,414
Alexander Fadeyev
1901 - 1956
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,415
Renaud Camus
1946 - Present
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 2,416
James Boswell
1740 - 1795
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 2,417
Esaias Tegnér
1782 - 1846
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 2,418
Marius Aventicensis
532 - 596
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 2,419
Samuil Marshak
1887 - 1964
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 2,420
Antiochus Kantemir
1708 - 1744
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 2,421
Isaac Alfasi
1013 - 1103
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 2,422
Lucilius Junior
6 - 100
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 2,423
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1740, James Boswell ranks 19. Before him are John Sullivan, Giambattista Bodoni, John Latham, Johann Jacob Schweppe, Princess Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar, and Anders Johan Lexell. After him are Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine, Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau, Matthias Claudius, Juan Ignacio Molina, Johan Tobias Sergel, and Johan Andreas Murray. Among people deceased in 1795, James Boswell ranks 21. Before him are Josiah Wedgwood, John Sullivan, Charles II August, Duke of Zweibrücken, Archduke Alexander Leopold of Austria, Antonio de Ulloa, and Maria Teresa Agnesi Pinottini. After him are Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, Michel Corrette, Francisco Bayeu y Subías, Grigory Shelikhov, Louis Eugene, Duke of Württemberg, and Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo.
Others Born in 1740
Go to all RankingsJohn Sullivan
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1740 - 1795
HPI: 63.68
Rank: 13
Giambattista Bodoni
DESIGNER
1740 - 1813
HPI: 63.29
Rank: 14
John Latham
PHYSICIAN
1740 - 1837
HPI: 63.17
Rank: 15
Johann Jacob Schweppe
INVENTOR
1740 - 1821
HPI: 62.72
Rank: 16
Princess Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar
NOBLEMAN
1740 - 1786
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 17
Anders Johan Lexell
MATHEMATICIAN
1740 - 1784
HPI: 62.24
Rank: 18
James Boswell
WRITER
1740 - 1795
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 19
Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1740 - 1793
HPI: 61.93
Rank: 20
Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau
POLITICIAN
1740 - 1817
HPI: 61.65
Rank: 21
Matthias Claudius
WRITER
1740 - 1815
HPI: 61.49
Rank: 22
Juan Ignacio Molina
BIOLOGIST
1740 - 1829
HPI: 61.35
Rank: 23
Johan Tobias Sergel
SCULPTOR
1740 - 1814
HPI: 60.85
Rank: 24
Johan Andreas Murray
BIOLOGIST
1740 - 1791
HPI: 60.18
Rank: 25
Others Deceased in 1795
Go to all RankingsJosiah Wedgwood
DESIGNER
1730 - 1795
HPI: 65.07
Rank: 15
John Sullivan
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1740 - 1795
HPI: 63.68
Rank: 16
Charles II August, Duke of Zweibrücken
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1795
HPI: 63.17
Rank: 17
Archduke Alexander Leopold of Austria
POLITICIAN
1772 - 1795
HPI: 63.04
Rank: 18
Antonio de Ulloa
ASTRONOMER
1716 - 1795
HPI: 62.61
Rank: 19
Maria Teresa Agnesi Pinottini
COMPOSER
1720 - 1795
HPI: 62.58
Rank: 20
James Boswell
WRITER
1740 - 1795
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 21
Jean-Jacques Barthélemy
WRITER
1716 - 1795
HPI: 61.91
Rank: 22
Michel Corrette
COMPOSER
1707 - 1795
HPI: 61.16
Rank: 23
Francisco Bayeu y Subías
PAINTER
1734 - 1795
HPI: 60.61
Rank: 24
Grigory Shelikhov
EXPLORER
1747 - 1795
HPI: 60.42
Rank: 25
Louis Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
NOBLEMAN
1731 - 1795
HPI: 59.72
Rank: 26
Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo
PAINTER
1719 - 1795
HPI: 59.08
Rank: 27
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, James Boswell ranks 2,062 out of 8,785. Before him are John Dollond (1706), Richard Dannatt (1950), Tricky (1968), Barbara Hepworth (1903), William Cullen (1710), and Sidney Webb, 1st Baron Passfield (1859). After him are Willibald (700), Phil Lynott (1949), Thomas Rowlandson (1756), Irvine Welsh (1957), Ray Winstone (1957), and Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick (1475).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsJohn Dollond
PHYSICIST
1706 - 1761
HPI: 62.02
Rank: 2,056
Richard Dannatt
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1950 - Present
HPI: 62.02
Rank: 2,057
Tricky
SINGER
1968 - Present
HPI: 62.02
Rank: 2,058
Barbara Hepworth
PAINTER
1903 - 1975
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,059
William Cullen
PHYSICIAN
1710 - 1790
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,060
Sidney Webb, 1st Baron Passfield
ECONOMIST
1859 - 1947
HPI: 62.01
Rank: 2,061
James Boswell
WRITER
1740 - 1795
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 2,062
Willibald
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
700 - 787
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 2,063
Phil Lynott
MUSICIAN
1949 - 1986
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 2,064
Thomas Rowlandson
PAINTER
1756 - 1827
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 2,065
Irvine Welsh
WRITER
1957 - Present
HPI: 61.98
Rank: 2,066
Ray Winstone
ACTOR
1957 - Present
HPI: 61.98
Rank: 2,067
Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick
POLITICIAN
1475 - 1499
HPI: 61.97
Rank: 2,068
Among WRITERS In United Kingdom
Among writers born in United Kingdom, James Boswell ranks 231. Before him are John Fletcher (1579), Kenneth Grahame (1859), William Smith (1813), Sister Nivedita (1867), John Marston (1576), and Noël Coward (1899). After him are Irvine Welsh (1957), Arnold Wesker (1932), Eric Knight (1897), Lytton Strachey (1880), William Auld (1924), and Charles Mackay (1814).
John Fletcher
1579 - 1625
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 225
Kenneth Grahame
1859 - 1932
HPI: 62.16
Rank: 226
William Smith
1813 - 1893
HPI: 62.15
Rank: 227
Sister Nivedita
1867 - 1911
HPI: 62.12
Rank: 228
John Marston
1576 - 1634
HPI: 62.07
Rank: 229
Noël Coward
1899 - 1973
HPI: 62.03
Rank: 230
James Boswell
1740 - 1795
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 231
Irvine Welsh
1957 - Present
HPI: 61.98
Rank: 232
Arnold Wesker
1932 - 2016
HPI: 61.97
Rank: 233
Eric Knight
1897 - 1943
HPI: 61.94
Rank: 234
Lytton Strachey
1880 - 1932
HPI: 61.93
Rank: 235
William Auld
1924 - 2006
HPI: 61.90
Rank: 236
Charles Mackay
1814 - 1889
HPI: 61.87
Rank: 237