Graham, Rob

Endlessly translated, plagiarized, and recycled, who, more than Shakespeare, deserves a Crash Course? Author Graham constructs a plausible portrait of the man and the controversy around Shakespeare's name, writings, business record, and rivals. The Works (the best of the plays, then the sonnets) are followed by what successive generations have done-the great performances, actors, and directors, on film and stage. The book concludes with a roundup of miscellaneous Bardeana: Elizabethan insults, cyber-Shakespeare (there's a version of Hamlet in Klingon), and Shakespeare's influence on food and art. Get the Crash Course and brush up on your Bard.