Parson Woodforde - The Life & Times of a Country Diarist:
Parson James Woodforde was an unremarkable 18th century English clergyman who kept a remarkably detailed diary for over 40 years. His daily entries provide a fascinating glimpse into the domestic and social life of provincial England between 1759 and 1802. Woodforde describes the meals he ate, guests he entertained, books he read, and events he attended with the enthusiasm of an amateur anthropologist. His writings reveal the habits, conversations and pastimes of the rural gentry. Through the minutiae of one parson's life we gain an intimate understanding of a period of gradual but profound economic and social change in English history. Woodforde's diaries are a treasure trove for scholars and offer entertaining reading for all.