Shakespeare: The World As Stage

Bill Bryson’s bestselling and brilliantly witty 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 in this captivating historical biography. 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.

Bryson’s quest to uncover the real Shakespeare delivers a lively and accessible look at the man and his world:

• A Tour of Elizabethan England: Journey back to a time of plague, plotting, and brilliant creativity, exploring the world that shaped the famous playwright.
• Shakespearean Scholarship Debunked: With his trademark skepticism, Bryson navigates the eccentric theories and wild suppositions that have long obscured the truth about the Bard.
• The Man Behind the Plays: Sifting through the scant facts, this engaging account moves beyond the million words of text to reveal a surprisingly human and relatable figure.
• Accessible Literary History: Forget dry academic analysis. This is a story-driven exploration, perfect for anyone who wants to understand the life behind the literature.

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.

Bryson documents the efforts of earlier scholars, from today's most respected academics to eccentrics like Delia Bacon, an American who developed a firm but unsubstantiated conviction that her namesake, Francis Bacon, was the true author of Shakespeare's plays. Emulating the style of his famous travelogues, Bryson records episodes in his research, including a visit to a basement room in Washington, D.C., where the world's largest collection of First Folios is housed.

Bryson celebrates Shakespeare as a writer of unimaginable talent and enormous inventiveness. His Shakespeare is like no one else's–the beneficiary of  Bryson's genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and a gift for storytelling unrivalled in our time.

“Bryson is a pleasant and funny guide to a subject at once overexposed and elusive.” - Publishers Weekly

“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

“Bryson uses an inimitably light touch and squeezes a vast subject down to manageable proportions. He is a warm and funny guide through the whole complicated morass of Shakespearean scholarship.” - Financial Times

“A consistent pleasure…both accessible and intelligent…. Will and Bill are a great double act.” - Houston Chronicle

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