Most of Samuel Johnson’s major undertakings – A Dictionary of the English Language, The Plays of William Shakespeare, and The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets – were commissioned by booksellers. As the son of a bookseller, a professional author, and a keen observer of the book trade, Johnson understood the business of books far better than most of his contemporaries. Accordingly, no student of Johnson should neglect this highly important aspect of his life and times.

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