John Aubrey's "Brief Lives," edited by Richard Barber, is a celebrated collection of biographical sketches offering vivid, often anecdotal, insights into prominent figures of 17th-century England. Compiled by Aubrey from personal recollections and a wide network of acquaintances, these "Lives" are renowned for their candidness and unconventional detail, providing a unique glimpse into the personalities and quirks of statesmen, poets, philosophers, and scientists like William Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, and Thomas Hobbes. Richard Barber's editorial work presents Aubrey's original, informal style while organizing the fragmented manuscripts into a coherent and accessible volume. This work stands as a lively and invaluable historical record, celebrated for bringing the human dimension to an era of significant intellectual and social change.