Walton, Izaak (redirected from Walton)

Walton, Izaak, 1593–1683, English writer. He wrote one of the most famous books in the English language, The Compleat Angler; or, the Contemplative Man's Recreation. The first edition appeared in 1653, and it was reissued frequently with additional material; the last edition in Walton's lifetime appeared in 1676. The book not only describes the technique of angling, but draws a picture of peace and simple virtue that was Walton's protest against the civil wars taking place at the time. He also wrote several biographies, including ones of John Donne (1640), Sir Henry Wotton (1651), and George Herbert (1670), all of whom were his friends.

Bibliography

See study by D. Novarr (1958); J. R. Cooper, The Art of The Compleat Angler (1968).

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Walton, Izaak

(born Aug. 9, 1593, Stafford, Staffordshire, Eng.—died Dec. 15, 1683, Winchester, Hampshire) English biographer and author. Apprenticed to a linendraper and with only a few years of schooling, he prospered after he acquired his own shop in London. He read widely, developed scholarly tastes, and associated with men of learning. A friend and fishing companion of John Donne, he contributed “An Elegie” to the posthumous publication of Donne's poetry (1633) and wrote biographies of Donne (1640), George Herbert (1670), and others. His classic The Compleat Angler (1653), a pastoral discourse on the joys and stratagems of fishing, is one of the most frequently reprinted works in English literature; a later revision (1676) included additions by Charles Cotton (1630–87).