Pierce Egan, the Elder

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Pierce Egan, the Elder

British writer

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Quick Facts

Born:: 1772, London, Eng.

Died:: Aug. 3, 1849, London

Subjects Of Study:: sports

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Pierce Egan, the Elder (born 1772, London, Eng.—died Aug. 3, 1849, London) was a sporting writer whose works were considered indispensable reading for English men-about-town in the early 19th century.

Egan made his reputation as a boxing reporter. His best-known work is Boxiana (1818–24), a racy but accurate account of the lives of famous pugilists. Egan also became an authority on other sports and developed a flair for sensational literature describing the contemporary “fast” life.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.