"In 1778 Fanny Burney startled the literary world with the publication of Evelina, and her subsequent novels won her many admirers, including the young Jan Austen."--BOOK JACKET. "This book, which draws extensively on Fanny Burney's renowned diaries, provides an intimate portrait of a woman whose life was described by a contemporary as 'a vortex of pleasure, brilliancy, and wit'. As Fanny moved from bluestocking circles to musical soirees, from Drury Lane to Court and later to Napoleonic France, she enjoyed unrivalled opportunities for observation. Few people she met escaped her pen: fops, caterwauling amateur singers, murderers and pretentious authors appear as vividly as George III, Dr Johnson, David Garrick, Mme de Stael and Louis XVIII."--BOOK JACKET. "In this entertaining and accessible life of Fanny Burney, the famous mingle with the lesser known yet equally fascinating figures of Georgian society."--BOOK JACKET.