Shakespeare: The World as a Stage - by Bill Bryson

I had high expectations of this book, as I always enjoy Bryson’s writing and know that his research is thorough. I was not disappointed. This was a very enjoyable and informative read. It was disconcerting, near the beginning, when he mentions that there is a problem: we actually know very little about Shakespeare’s life, despite his significance in history and literature. The book describes what is known and discusses numerous claims about the Bard’s life, that have been refuted or clearly do not fit with the facts. He also describes a lot of detail about life in England in the late 1500s and early 1600s, which I enjoyed. I wish this book had been available when I was learning about Shakespeare and that historical period at school ...