Shakespeare. The World As Stage (Eminent Lives Series) - Softcover

Bill Bryson’s bestselling biography of William Shakespeare takes the reader on an enthralling tour through Elizabethan England and the eccentricities of Shakespearean scholarship—updated with a new introduction by the author to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death

William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. His Shakespeare is like no one else's—the beneficiary of Bryson's genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and a gift for storytelling unrivaled in our time.

“Bill Bryson has yet to disappoint. . . . This examination is likely to stick with you because of Bryson’s humor, deep love of language, and clear fondness for his subject.”–Boston Globe

William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. His Shakespeare is like no one else’s—–the beneficiary of Bryson’s genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and a gift for storytelling unrivaled in our time.

“A telling glance at one of history’s most unknowable figures.”–Kirkus Reviews

Eminent Lives

Succinct, essayistic, and enlivened by a strong point of view, the Eminent Lives series joins a distinguished literary tradition—–great writers on great figures, short biographies perfect for an age short on time.