{"product_id":"shakespeare-the-world-as-stage-isbn-9780061363917","title":"Shakespeare: The World As Stage","description":"\u003cp\u003eBill 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\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWilliam 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBryson’s quest to uncover the real Shakespeare delivers a lively and accessible look at the man and his world:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Tour of Elizabethan England:\u003c\/b\u003e Journey back to a time of plague, plotting, and brilliant creativity, exploring the world that shaped the famous playwright.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eShakespearean Scholarship Debunked:\u003c\/b\u003e With his trademark skepticism, Bryson navigates the eccentric theories and wild suppositions that have long obscured the truth about the Bard.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Man Behind the Plays:\u003c\/b\u003e Sifting through the scant facts, this engaging account moves beyond the million words of text to reveal a surprisingly human and relatable figure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAccessible Literary History:\u003c\/b\u003e Forget dry academic analysis. This is a story-driven exploration, perfect for anyone who wants to understand the life behind the literature.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003eWilliam 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBryson 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBryson 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.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Bryson is a pleasant and funny guide to a subject at once overexposed and elusive.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A consistent pleasure…both accessible and intelligent…. Will and Bill are a great double act.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHouston Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A telling glance at one of history’s most unknowable figures.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Large Print","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888614338789,"sku":"NP9780061363917","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061363917.jpg?v=1730229449","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/shakespeare-the-world-as-stage-isbn-9780061363917","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}