By Bill Bryson
(Reviewed by Carla Hedstrom)

Many excellent books delve into the life and times of William Shakespeare. Some of them are more accessible to the general public than others. One that I recommend is Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, by Stephen Greenblatt, and another is Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare: The World as Stage.

Bryson and Greenblatt both examine English political and social history during the time Shakespeare lived, and by doing so, they attempt to answer some of the questions that surround him.

For example, was he secretly a Roman Catholic? Why did he leave his wife and family in Stratford when he moved to London to begin his career in the theatre? Was Shakespeare educated well enough to write the great works attributed to him?

In my view, the biggest difference between the two books is the detail and scholarship each author includes, with Greenblatt’s book being the more in-depth one. However, Bryson’s is very good, as well as entertaining. If you are curious about Shakespeare, Bryson is a good place to start—and if you are on your way to England, it’s a must-read.