From bestselling author Bill Bryson comes this compelling short biography of William Shakespeare; our greatest dramatist and poet. Examining centuries of myths; half-truths and downright lies; Bill Bryson makes sense of the man behind the masterpieces. As he leads us through the crowded streets of Elizabethan England; he brings to life the places and characters that inspired Shakespeare's work. Along the way he delights in the inventiveness of Shakespeare's language; which has given us so many of the indispensable words and phrases we use today; and celebrates the Bard's legacy to our literature; culture and history. Drawing together information from a vast array of sources; this is a masterful account of the life and works of William Shakespeare; one of the most famous and most enigmatic people ever to have lived - not to mention a classic piece of Bill Bryson.