1. Who wrote Shakespeare.
John Michell.
This is the best overview book of the authorship question. With
great wit, John reviews all the candidates, including Shakespeare.
John is in the film. The book is relatively easy to find in paperback.
2. Shakespeare's lives.
Sam Schoenbaum
I have this in hard cover. It is the best book on WS by an orthodox
scholar. Full of wonderful stories. It is relatively objective
which is very rare in an orthodox stratfordian. It is more about
the WS phenomenon than the life. He gives some pages to the dissidents
but treats them in a disparaging way.
3. Shakespeare's Unorthodox
biography. Diana Price.
This new book is the most devastating case against the Bard.
She goes into his shadowy life and reputation in the minutest
detail. Expensive, but worth it! Not for a beginner.
4. Shakespeare, A life.
Park Honan.
This is the orthodox biography which is most often quoted to
me.
"Read Honan and you will see the light;" I am told.
On the contrary, I am amazed at how Honan skips over the tricky
bits to create this fanciful positive picture of the Bard. Check
page 59 to see how the author slides around the matter of WS not
winning a scholarship at his famous school. Book is easy to get.
5. The Story that the Sonnets
tell. Dolly Walker Wraight
Dolly's book is built around the sonnets and their theme of exile.
But it is packed with out of the way information in favor of Marlowe
being the hidden hand behind the Bard. Very hard to find. Order
through the Marlowe society. Will become a collectors item.
6. The genius of Shakespeare.
Jonathan Bate.
Paperback. Jonathan is orthodox
of course. He thinks WS stole from Marlowe. Represents the new
more cynical view of WS by orthodox scholars. (See Ungentle Shakespeare.)
A good read. One of the best defenses of the bard around. But
he is tricky at times. Check his depiction of William as WS in;
As you like it, and compare with the text in the play.
7. The Murder of the man who
was Shakespeare. Calvin Hoffman.
Very hard to fine. Try ABE. This is the book which popularised
the false death theory in the 60's. A racy read, and the basis
of my film in many ways.
8. The Reckoning. Charles
Nicholl.
Paperback easily available. Charles believes Marlowe was killed
in a faction fight. He has no time for the Marlowe-as-Shakespare
thesis. None the less, a brilliant and fascinating book. Dolly
hated it.
9. In search of Christopher
Marlowe. Dolly Walker Wraight.
This is her first book, and predated her conclusion that Malowe
was WS. It is a very good standard review of Marlowe's life with
lots of photos. Excellent. Available probably through the Marlowe
Society.
10. Ungentle Shakespeare.
Katherine Duncan-Jones.
Expensive and rare. Written by an orthodox scholar, this book
represents a tactical retreat to more defendable ground by the
Stratfordians. A sign of things to come? Sure, WS was a nasty
man, but still he was a great writer.
