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"An enjoyable literary detective story . . . Shakespeare himself would have enjoyed each of the tales recorded in this diverting book" --"The Wall Street Journal"
"Rasmussen uses a lively, nonacademic style and engrossing anecdotes to tell us about one of history's most fascinating books . . . an entertaining and informative book." - "Library Journal
""You don't have to be a Shakespeare fan or a rare book expert to enjoy The Shakespeare Thefts. Light and lively...and a highly accessible read."--"The Washington Independent Review of Books""A gripping narrative." "-The Washington Post
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"A wonderfully engaging, witty, accessible account both of the fates of first folios and of the continuing efforts by Rasmussen's team to find the folios and analyze them for authenticity . . . This is as un-put-downable as the most gripping mystery: along the way, readers will learn much about the social history of the folios, about the murders most foul connected to them, and about the "dead within two years" fate that has often befallen the folio's owners. Marvelous on every level." --"Booklist"
" Eric Rasmussen's worldwide pursuit of extant Folios [is] a compelling account.... fascinating stories" --Peter J. Smith, Times Higher Education supplement
"A collection of witty and entertaining essays about how, since it was first published in 1623, the First Folio ... has attracted the attention of thieves and conmen; how copies of one of the most valuable books in the world have been purloined over the centuries ... And there can be few people better qualified to tell the story [than Eric Rasmussen]. [Shakespeare Thefts] is great fun, and full of self-deprecating humor. But what makes it more than just an erudite addition to the true crime genre is the author's all-consuming passion for his subject. This is a gloriously geeky book."-- Adrian Tinniswood, "The Literary Review""A Shakespeare authority recounts his attempts to identify and document all extant copies of Shak --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
From every page of this book, it's obvious that Eric Rasmussen has not only an in-depth scholarly knowledge of his subject, but also a passionate enthusiasm for it - an enthusiasm he wants us to share. He and his team of researchers have spent the last decade cataloguing all the remaining copies of Shakespeare's First Folio that they could lay their hands on. Along the way, Rasmussen has collected a fund of stories about thefts and miraculous recoveries, family feuds, frauds and forgeries. For instance, did you know that the pope once "stole" a First Folio from actress Dorothy Tutin? If you want the rest of that story, you'll need to read the book!
Told in a light-hearted style, nonetheless the book is packed full of interesting information about Shakespeare and the actors he worked with, 17th century printing and publishing, and the obsession shown by book collectors over the centuries. Even the notes at the end are full of little anecdotes that add to the overall enjoyability of the book. This will be an ideal gift for anyone with an interest in Shakespeare or, indeed, in books generally. I know several of my family and friends will be receiving it this Christmas. Highly recommended.
The First edition of Shakespeare's works, published in 1623, known as the First Folios, is one of the most valuable books in the world, and the author and over a decade his team have tracked every single one of the 232 surviving copies across the globe. They are revered, admired and highly sought after, but only very wealthy individuals or corporations can be in the market for one.
The book is hugely entertaining ranging from stories about eccentric bibliophiles to the production of fake copies and the fascinating detail as the folios travel through the centuries to present day.
The appeal of the book is that it is literary history at it's most engaging and compelling.
Eric Rasmussen has written a book which deserves a wide readership and is a 'must have' for all those interested in Shakespeare. Recommended.
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