 | 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro
Buy new: £6.13 / Used from: £0.40 Lively, well-researched account of the year that produced four masterpieces, including "Hamlet" and "As You Like It"
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 | In Search of Shakespeare by Michael Wood
Buy new: £6.72 / Used from: £3.00 Linked to the BBC television series, a good overview of Shakspeare's life and world, though academics might question Wood's thesis that the Bard was a closet Catholic.
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 | Shakespeare: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £3.99 Another fine and thorough biography, perhaps for someone wanting to delve a little deeper.
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 | Shakespeare and Co.: Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher and the Other Players in His Story by Stanley Wells
Buy new: £5.80 / Used from: £3.00 You'll appreciate Shakespere's craftsmanship all the more if you find out about his contemporaries - this is a great starting-point.
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 | The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street by Charles Nicholl
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £2.93 Sometimes it's worth narrowing your focus and digging deeper - an excellent example is this amazing piece of detective work placing Shakespeare in the context of his life in London.
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 | Soul of the Age: The Life, Mind and World of William Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate
Buy new: £6.40 / Used from: £4.51 Taking a thematic rather than a chronological approach, this account of Shakespeare's life sets him clearly in his early-modern society.
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 | Will by Christopher Rush
Buy new: £9.49 / Used from: £0.01 Shakespeare on his deathbed is the entry point for this semi-biographical novel - a poetic celebration rather than an academic study.
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 | Beside Myself by Antony Sher
Buy new: £7.49 / Used from: £5.52 The personal cost of the actor's life, from one of the RSC's finest talents.
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 | Romeo and Juliet: Texts and Contexts (Bedford Shakespeare Series) by William Shakespeare
Buy new: £14.24 If you want to know about a specific play in greater depth, this is one of a very accessible series. Other titles include "Othello" and "The Winter's Tale"
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 | The Rough Guide to Shakespeare: The plays. The poems. The life (Rough Guide Reference) by Andrew Dickson
Buy new: £11.83 / Used from: £9.38 You couldn't have a better modern play-by-play guide to the entire canon.
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 | The RSC Shakespeare: The Complete Works by Shakespeare W
Buy new: £11.98 / Used from: £11.36 A very good value edition endorsed by the RSC, comfortable to read and use.
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 | Shakespeare's London on Five Groats a Day by Richard Tames
Buy new: £8.22 / Used from: £6.87 Great fun and you'll learn a lot, too!
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