This collection tells the life stories of the people whom we know Shakespeare encountered, shedding new light on Shakespeare's life and times.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1871.

Named One of Esquire's 50 Best Biographies of All Time The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, reissued with a new afterword for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. A young man from a small provincial town moves to London in the late 1580s and, in a remarkably short time, becomes the greatest playwright not of his age alone but of all time. How is an achievement of this magnitude to be explained? Stephen Greenblatt brings us down to earth to see, hear, and feel how an acutely sensitive and talented boy, surrounded by the rich tapestry of Elizabethan life, could have become the world’s greatest playwright.

The best kept secrets are waiting to be found... ‘A lovely read ... leaving you with a warm glow and a smile your face’ Jo Thomas ‘The perfect summer read ... I loved everything about it!’ Bella Osborne ‘Fresh and original, haunting and evocative’ Jules Wake ‘A delicious ice-cream of a book’ Josie Lloyd