Diary of Samuel Pepys, Volume II

Written between 1660 and 1669, as Pepys was establishing himself as a key administrator in the Navy Office, this is an intimate portrait of life in 17th-century England. Volume II covers some of the most famous events in his lifetime. Pepys was in London during the terrible Plague of 1665. And he was there during the Great Fire of London the following year, playing an active role in the actual event and its aftermath.