Tab Article

ratings: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Genre: Literary Criticism / Biography / Theater History / Shakespeare Studies

Book Review:
S. Schoenbaum's Shakespeare: The Globe & The World is a magnificent book that serves as both a scholarly study and a visual feast. Published to accompany a touring exhibition from the Folger Shakespeare Library—home to the world's finest collection of Shakespearean materials—this volume brings together the treasures of that collection with the insights of one of the great Shakespeare scholars of the 20th century. The result is a book that is as beautiful as it is informative. With over 350 illustrations (more than 150 in color), it offers a vivid tour through Shakespeare's world: the Stratford of his birth, the London of the Globe Theatre, the publication history of his plays (including the famous First Folio), and his enduring legacy in performance, from the 17th century to the present. Schoenbaum's text is engaging and accessible, making this a book for both scholars and general readers. It covers not only the life and works but also the cultural contexts—the politics, the religion, the daily life—that shaped them. This is a book to be savored, to be paged through, to be returned to again and again. For anyone who loves Shakespeare, this is an essential addition to the library. A true treasure.