'In William Shakespeare, William Baker affords readers with a thoroughgoing study of the great dramatist's life and times. With key insights into the nature of the Elizabethan stage, Renaissance-era political unrest, and the textual dilemmas associated with Shakespeare's work, Baker offers an expansive, top-drawer analysis suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers alike.'- Professor Ken Womack, Penn State University, USA

Baker offers an introduction and reassessment of the life and works of William Shakespeare for undergraduate and graduate students and general readers. He considers Shakespeare's output from his earliest work through his mature dramas and late plays within the context of his life, and focuses on an account of what is known about him, rather than speculation about what is not. He reviews different theories relating to Shakespeare's life and work, including his assumed Catholic connections and associations with the Earls of Essex and Southampton, with an emphasis on the facts. He also focuses on genre, with discussion of The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Henry V, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, and The Tempest as representative examples." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.