From bestselling author Bill Bryson comes this compelling short biography of William Shakespeare our greatest dramatist & poet. Examining centuries of myths half-truths & downright lies Bill Bryson makes sense of the man behind the masterpieces. As he leads us through the crowded streets of Elizabethan England he brings to life the places & characters that inspired Shakespeares work. Along the way he delights in the inventiveness of Shakespeares language which has given us so many of the indispensable words & phrases we use today & celebrates the Bards legacy to our literature culture & history. Drawing together information from a vast array of sources this is a masterful account of the life & works of William Shakespeare one of the most famous & most enigmatic people ever to have lived
- not to mention a classic piece of Bill Bryson.
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This exquisitely illustrated edition of Bill Brysons best-selling biography of William Shakespeare takes the reader on an enthralling journey through Elizabethan England & the eccentricities of Shakespearean scholarship. Bill Brysons biography of William Shakespeare pairs the most celebrated playwright in history with one of the most popular writers in the English language today. In this exquisitely illustrated new edition the age of Shakespeare is vividly evoked through full-colour paintings portraits documents & photographs. Ever since he took the theatre of Elizabethan London by storm over 400 years ago Shakespeare has remained centre stage. His fame stems not only from his plays
- performed everywhere from school halls to the worlds most illustrious theatres
- but also from his enigmatic persona. His face is familiar to all yet in reality very little is known about the man behind the masterpieces. Taking us on a journey through the streets of Elizabethan & Jacobean England Bryson examines centuries of myths half-truths & downright lies surrounding our greatest dramatist. With a steady hand & his trademark wit he introduces a host of engaging characters as he celebrates the magic of Shakespeares language & delights in details of the bards life folios poetry & plays. An updated preface

Includes:: the recent discoveries of the Cobbe portrait & Londons first purpose-built theatre in Shoreditch. Shakespeare: The Illustrated Edition is captivating & colourful as Bryson brings the legend into focus with unmatched clarity & amusement. Sonnets (audio CD) Selected & read by Sir John Gielgud these personal & initimate poems were recorded over a period of six months on two continents a few at a time. They are magnificently sensitive readings by the most memorable interpreter of Shakespeare in our time. The text follows the original quarto of 1609.



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DK Eyewitness Shakespeare" is a spectacular & informative guide to one of historys most well known playwrights. Amazing colour photographs offer your child a unique eyewitness view of William Shakespeare. Did you know special effects were used in Shakespeares plays including devils & ghosts that came up through trapdoors in the stage? Let your child discover the fascinating life & times of one of the worlds greatest playwrights from Shakespeares birth in the small town of Stratford-upon-Avon to theatre life in 16th century London. Then use the giant pull-out wall chart to decorate their room. Great for projects or just for fun make sure your child learns everything they need to know about Shakespeare. Find out more & download amazing clipart images at our associated website." ...

This is a new title in Young Reading Series Three" which is aimed at children whose reading ability & confidence allows them to tackle longer & more complex stories. It describes the life of the Bard from his childhood in Stratford-Upon-Avon to his career as a playwright & performer & the influence which his great works continue to hold today. It is illustrated by Christina Uzner illustrator of " Usborne Young Reading Series Three Leonardo Da Vinci" alongside photography of real-life locations connected to Shakespeare. It is developed in consultation with Alison Kelly who is a senior lecturer in education & an early reading specialist from Roehampton University. It is beautifully produced hardback with ribbon marker." ...

This guide to the most popular works of William Shakespeare provides & overview of his life & times which gives an insight into his writings themes & characters & how facts were altered to make the historical plays more entertaining. The book

Includes:: plot & main character summaries of such plays as A Midsummer Night's Dream" " Othello" " Julius Caesar" & " Romeo & Juliet". It also contains plot scorecards that allow the reader to follow the play & keep track of the deaths marriages & family relations. In addition Shakespeare's poetry is covered in detail. The guide

Includes:: an overview of the English of Shakespeare's day with tips on sentence construction verbs & knowing the difference between "thee" "thou" & "thine" as well as an examination of his use of words jokes & puns. The book also offers: tips on how to best enjoy the Bard's work with advice on reading aloud reading footnotes & using a dictionary; suggestions on how to prepare for a performance of Shakespeare's work & what to look for in film versions; the best places to see a Shakespearean production; the most common Shakespeare"es still used today; the best films based on the Bard's works; & notable performances."



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The full comprehension of the plays is gained from the line-by-line modern English translation given on facing pages. Understanding of the plays is increased as pupils take part in the variety of related activities included in each book. The significance of the plays is reinforced by sections discussing Shakespeares life works & theatre. Pupils are encouraged to understand the language characters structure & themes of the plays by completion of practical exercises. ...

Whos afraid of William Shakespeare? Just about everyone. He wrote too much & what he did write is inaccessible & elitist. Right? Wrong. Shakespeare on Toast" knocks the stuffing from the staid old myth of Shakespeare revealing the man & his plays for what they really are: modern thrilling & uplifting drama. Actor & author Ben Crystal brings the bright words & colourful characters of the worlds greatest hack writer brilliantly to life handing over the key to Shakespeares plays unlocking the so called difficult bits & astonishingly finding Shakespeares own voice amid the poetry. Told in five fascinating Acts " Shakespeare on Toast" sweeps the cobwebs from the Bard
- from his language his life his time
- revealing both the man & his work to be relevant accessible & full of beans."

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Lily Bard has started over in the quiet town of Shakespeare Arkansas where she works as a cleaning lady. But shes about to go back to where she came from & where Lily goes danger follows.. . Determined to move beyond her violent past Lily heads to Bartley her hometown for her sisters Christmas Eve wedding. But theres something in the air besides festive cheer: the towns doctor & nurses have been bludgeoned to death & Lilys detective boyfriend has followed an eight-year-old kidnapping case straight to Bartley. It just might have something to do with the murders.. .and with her sisters fiance. With only three days to the wedding Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister promises to love honour & obey a killer. ...

Welcome to the George Inn near London Bridge; a cosy wood-pannelled galleried coaching house a few minutes walk from the Thames. Grab yourself a pint listen to the chatter of the locals & consider this: who else has made this their local over the last 600 years? Chaucer & his fellow pilgrims almost certainly drank in the George on their way out of London to Canterbury. Shakespeare may well have popped in from the nearby Globe for a pint & we know that Dickens definitely did. Mail carriers changed their horses here before heading to all four corners of Britain -- while sailors drank here before visiting all four corners of the world... The pub as Pete Brown points out is the primordial cell of British life & in the George he has found the perfect case study. All life is here from murderers highwaymen & ladies of the night to gossiping pedlars & hard-working clerks. So sit back & watch as buildings rise & fall over the centuries & the beer drinkers Bill Bryson (TLS) takes us on an entertaining tour through six centuries of history through the stories of everyone that ever drank in one pub. ...

From Neil Mac Gregor the acclaimed creator of A History of the World in 100 Objects" & the Director of the British Museum comes a unique enthralling exploration of the age of William Shakespeare to accompany a new BBC Radio 4 series. Shakespeare lived through a pivotal period in human history. With the discovery of the New World the horizons of Old Europe were expanding dramatically
- & long-cherished certainties were crumbling. Life was exhilaratingly uncertain. What were Londoners thinking when they went to see Shakespeares plays? What was it like living in their world? Here Neil Mac Gregor looks at twenty objects from Shakespeares life & times & uncovers the fascinating stories behind them. The objects themselves range from the grand (such as the hoard of gold coins that make up the Salcombe treasure) to the very humble like the battered trunk & worn garments of an unknown pedlar. But in each case they allow Mac Gregor to explore issues as diverse as piracy & Islam Catholicism & disguise. Mac Gregor weaves the histories of objects into the words of Shakespeares plays themselves to suggest to us where his ideas about religion national identity the history of England & the world human nature itself may have come from. The result is a fresh & thrilling evocation of Shakespeares world."
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