Samuel Pepys exposed: secrets, suppression, and the truth behind his diary. Samuel Pepys Was Not What You Think…

EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

For generations, Samuel Pepys has been portrayed as a witty observer of Restoration London — a charming administrator who documented plague, fire, and naval reform.

But what if that version of Pepys wasn’t the full story?

In this explosive Gloucester History Festival Special, historian and author Guy de la Bédoyère joins History Rage to challenge the long-standing myth that Pepys was simply “a man of his time.”

Drawing on decades of research — including learning Pepys’s original shorthand — Guy reveals how editors suppressed, mistranslated, and obscured disturbing passages from the diary for over 200 years.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode

This episode goes beyond familiar Pepys anecdotes and digs into the hidden layers of his diary — and the people who shaped how history remembers him.

Inside this episode:

Why large sections of Pepys’s diary were deliberately removed or mistranslated
How 19th- and 20th-century editors shaped the public image of Pepys
The truth behind Pepys’s secret use of foreign languages and coded shorthand
Why the phrase “a man of his time” can dangerously excuse behaviour
Why Pepys’s record remains unique in early modern history

Guy explains how Pepys deliberately buried controversial actions within routine daily entries — making them easy to overlook unless carefully decoded.

Why This Episode Matters

Pepys’s diary is one of the most important personal records in English history — documenting events like:

The Great Plague of 1665
The Great Fire of London
The Restoration of monarchy after the English Civil Wars

But Guy argues that understanding Pepys properly means confronting the uncomfortable details — not sanitising them.

This episode challenges the idea that historical figures should be excused simply because of the era in which they lived — and asks what happens when historians uncover what earlier editors chose to hide.

About the Guest — Guy de la Bédoyère

Guy de la Bédoyère is a bestselling historian, broadcaster, and former Time Team presenter.

He is widely known for his work on Roman Britain and historical biography, and his latest research focuses on uncovering suppressed truths within Pepys’s writings.

📖 Buy the book here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780349147406

Purchasing through the History Rage Bookshop helps support both the podcast and independent booksellers.

See Guy Live — Gloucester History Festival

🎟 Live Event Announcement

Gloucester History Festival

📅 Saturday 18th April 2026

🎤 The Confessions of Samuel Pepys

Guy will be speaking live about the hidden realities behind Pepys’s diary and answering audience questions.

🎟 Get tickets:

https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/the-confessions-of-samuel-pepys/

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Listen Next

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

Episode 241 — Quakers weren’t peaceful outsiders
Episode 284 — The forgotten women of the Restoration court

Both continue the theme of challenging historical myths and misconceptions.

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