The Diary of Samuel Pepys cover art

The Diary of Samuel Pepys

The BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Diary of Samuel Pepys

By: Samuel Pepys, Hattie Naylor
Narrated by: Kris Marshall, Katherine Jakeways, Full Cast
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Kris Marshall and Katherine Jakeways star as Mr & Mrs Pepys in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the world famous diaries.

Samuel Pepys was 26 when he decided to start keeping a diary, in January 1660. For the next 10 years he faithfully recorded the day's events and confessed his innermost thoughts. That diary has since become one of our most important, and fascinating, historical documents. Pepys gave us eyewitness accounts of some of the great events of the 17th century, including the Great Fire of London and the Second Dutch War. He also told us what people ate and wore, what they did for fun, the tricks they played on each other, what they expected of marriage, and even how they conducted love affairs. He described London - the frozen river Thames, the rising crime rate and the poverty - and recorded the details of his own life: his wife, rivals, lovers and friends, his work for the Navy, his drinking and social life.

Over 350 years may have passed since Pepys first put pen to paper, but the man and his preoccupations feel surprisingly familiar. In this major BBC Radio dramatisation of the journals, the sights and sounds of his world are vividly conjured. This collection comprises all 10 radio series plus a special Saturday Drama centring on the Great Fire of London.

©2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Europe Great Britain England Funny Marriage Adaptation
All stars
Most relevant  
This is a fantastic dramatisation, enjoyed every minute - it's really well done. I was so sad when it was finished, I looked forward to each new diary entry to see what would happen next to Sam, Lizzy and their friends and family. It really shows how nothing changes, the people in 1660's London had the same problems and issues, feelings and joys that we have today. My only tiny criticism would be that the song used does get tedious as it is used throughout the entire performance whenever music is called for as well as to seperate the chapters and the chapters are quite short!! But that is worth overlooking. One of the best audiobooks I've listened to.

TRANSPORT YOURSELF BACK IN TIME!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A thoroughly enjoyable, engaging, moreish depiction. I have loved living with Samuel and Lizzie in the 1660s.

exceptional dramatisation

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Diary of Samuel Pepys. Despite being set in a very different era, his life felt surprisingly relatable. His struggles with marital troubles, his dedication to his work, and his honest reflections on his own shortcomings struck a chord with me. Pepys's desire to improve himself and his candid self-awareness made him feel real and human, even centuries later. It's remarkable how much hasn't changed in the human experience—his daily concerns, hopes, and flaws echo many of our own today. A fascinating and surprisingly personal window into the past!

Timeless, honest, relatable glimpse in the 1600's

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.