Catherine M. S. Alexander

Although this work about Shakespeare is fascinating and an easy read, I cannot give it more stars because it is extremely superficial, covering the tragedies in a few pages, the comedies in a few pages, and so forth. The author has interesting insights into the time, the plays, and the man, but this reads like a "theme" more than like a work of scholarship or analysis, and more (much more) would have been desired.

Hailed as the world's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare has captured the hearts and minds of more audiences than any other. No other writer's works are more performed or more often quoted.

Produced in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and beautifully illustrated with both contemporary pictures from Shakespeare's time and photographs of RSC performances, Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures brings the poet's life alive. It delves into the likely sources that show more inspired him to write such masterpieces as The Merchant of Venice, Othello and Macbeth and assesses the influences of subsequent generations of performers who have shown the "infinite variety" with which Shakespeare's work can be adapted for all forms of media. A must for both aficionados and those discovering him for the first time, Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures is unique in containing 30 items of removable facsimile memorabilia including:


• Shakespeare's baptism record


• Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway's marriage bond


• King James I's patent giving Shakespeare and his fellow actors the right to perform plays throughout the country


• Shakespeare's will


• An extract from the First Folio of 1623


• Tickets issued by the Royal Shakespeare Company to the opening of the Swan Theatre


Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures is the ultimate tribute to the "noble memory" of the world's greatest writer. show less

Hailed as the world's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare has captured the hearts and minds of more audiences than any other. No other writer's works are more performed or more often quoted.

Produced in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and beautifully illustrated with both contemporary pictures from Shakespeare's time and photographs of RSC performances, Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures brings the poet's life alive. It delves into the likely sources that show more inspired him to write such masterpieces as The Merchant of Venice, Othello and Macbeth and assesses the influences of subsequent generations of performers who have shown the "infinite variety" with which Shakespeare's work can be adapted for all forms of media. A must for both aficionados and those discovering him for the first time, Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures is unique in containing 30 items of removable facsimile memorabilia including:


22 Shakespeare's baptism record


22 Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway's marriage bond


22 King James I's patent giving Shakespeare and his fellow actors the right to perform plays throughout the country


22 Shakespeare's will


22 An extract from the First Folio of 1623


22 Tickets issued by the Royal Shakespeare Company to the opening of the Swan Theatre


Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures is the ultimate tribute to the "noble memory" of the world's greatest writer. show less

interesting idea, imperfectly realized