Book

Wells, Stanley. Shakespeare: for all time. Oxford, 2003. 442p index ISBN 0-19-516093-2, $40.00.

Choice: "This important, richly illustrated book by eminent Shakespeare scholar Wells lucidly circumscribes the legacy of the Bard. Deftly phrased and uniquely encyclopedic in scope, the book draws from and reflects on a lifetime dedicated to editing and caring for the remains of Shakespeare as poet, dramatist, and man. Essential. Most useful for undergraduates and general readers, with a wealth of detail that will benefit graduate students and researchers." Contemporary Review: “Prof. Wells is widely recognized as this country’s leading expert on Shakespeare…He writes with humour, detachment and a breadth of learning that makes this a thoroughly enjoyable book for anyone interested in English literature, the theatre and the genius that was Shakespeare.” Publishers Weekly: “this work hits its stride when it gets onstage, from the first performances on the recently unearthed Rose Theater to the modern productions on the newly reconstructed Globe…this copiously illustrated album admirably compressed more than four centuries of the bard and more than 50 years of Wells’s devotion to him.” New Statesman: “clear and witty…Wells’s flair for the management of an intricate story proves compelling…Scholarly, urbane, rich in anecdotes and marvelously readable, it is a meticulously constructed and authoritative survey with a vast and satisfying scope.” Renaissance Quarterly: "Stanley Wells is one of the towering figures of current Shakespeare studies...While the scope of the project necessitates superficiality, Wells and the Oxford Press offer the general reader an appealing, lavishly illustrated volume. Since none of this material can be developed at any length and since it is presented chronologically rather than topically, readers seeking information on the wide array of subejcts broached in this book may be inclined to turn to other refernce works. There is no bibliogrpahy and the notes are not extensive."