Frederick A. Pottle

Life & Legacy

Frederick Albert Pottle (1897–1987) was an American literary scholar, biographer, and editor who was one of the world's foremost scholars on James Boswell. From 1929 to 1979 he was the editor of the Boswell Papers at Yale University. As editor, he studied the extensive writings of James Boswell; including the author's diaries, correspondences and papers, to compile a detailed account of his life. Pottle's 1966 biography of Boswell, James Boswell: The Earlier Years, 1740-1769 was a finalist for the National Book Award (in the Arts and Letters category). The first volume of the Boswell papers edited by Pottle, Boswell's London Journal: 1762-1763 was well received academically and was widely popular amongst the general public. The volume sold more than 1 million copies worldwide, and was translated into multiple languages.