Not a single manuscript or draft of William Shakespeare’s 37 plays has been found. The First Folio printed in 1623, 7 years after his death in 1616, was “published according to the True Original Copies” as attested on its title page. {p 5}.
Not a single letter written or dictated by Shakespeare has survived. {p 7}.
This has given rise to the still unresolved mystery Did William Shakespeare really write these plays? Wilson in this book does not attempt to answer this question. Instead, we are treated to a detailed narrative of the life of Shakespeare.
I first read this book in 2003. Rereading this book now in preparation for my trip to Stratford upon Avon in Aug 2019, I still find this book heavy – going. This is a book that rewards patient reading.