A Year In The Life Of William Shakespeare: 1599 - Hardcover

Shapiro, James S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060088737 ISBN 13: 9780060088736

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2005

Synopsis

A lavishly detailed portrait of a year in the life of the bard traces his career in 1599, which marked the building of the Globe Theater, the English invasion of Ireland, and the creation of the plays, Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet. 100,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

"Quite brilliant..It gives a whole large picture of his life, times, and achievement. Wonderful." -- Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate (England)

"a brilliantly readable and revealing narrative." -- Nicholas Hytner, The Guardian

"Superb-the product of marathon scholarship, inspired insight, narrative flair, astute surmise and searching intelligence." -- Peter Kemp, Sunday Times (London)

"an unforgettable illumination of a crucial moment in the life of our greatest writer."--Robert McCrum, The Observer

"Superb--the product of marathon scholarship, inspired insight, narrative flair, astute surmise and searching intelligence."--Peter Kemp, Sunday Times (London)

"Quite brilliant....It gives a whole large picture of his life, times, and achievement. Wonderful."--Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate (England)

"An intriguing addition to Shakespeare studies...open-minded readers will be stimulated and enriched by Shapiro's contextual approach."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"[This] is one of the few genuinely original biographies of Shakespeare."--Jonathan Bate, Sunday Telegraph

"Only an extraordinary scholar could illuminate Shakespeare's singular genius by demonstrating how much his work owes to Elizabethan cultureandsociety."--Alexandra Alter, Chicago Tribune

"James Shapiro throws an unusually searching light across Shakespeare's creative genius and makes him come truly alive."--The Economist

From the Back Cover:

An intimate history of Shakespeare, following him through a single year -- 1599 -- that changed not only his fortunes but the course of literature

How was Shakespeare transformed from being a talented poet and playwright to become one of the greatest writers who ever lived? In this one exhilarating year we follow what he reads and writes, what he sees, and whom he works with as he invests in the new Globe Theatre and creates four of his most famous plays -- Henry the Fifth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and, most remarkably, Hamlet.

James Shapiro illuminates both Shakespeare's staggering achievement and what Elizabethans experienced in the course of 1599: sending off an army to crush an Irish rebellion, weathering an Armada threat from Spain, gambling on the fledgling East India Company, and waiting to see who would succeed their aging and childless queen.

This book brings the news and intrigue of the times together with a wonderful evocation of how Shakespeare worked as an actor, businessman, and playwright. The result is an exceptionally immediate and gripping account of an inspiring moment in history.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0060088737
• ISBN 13: 9780060088736
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 394