Essential Shakespeare Handbook Paperback – January 16, 2013

I like the DK format which is similar to dummy books only more condensed and in color. Learning more about the plays of the greatest playwright in English history is important because the best writers always include references from his plays and poetry. You will be surprised at all the common sayings that were first written in English by Wm Shakespeare. I’ve always maintained that the makers of trivial pursuit pick their trivia from these DK books. My husband and I are unbeatable.

This book is a great resource either for teachers, or fans of "The Bard".Any English teacher would be remiss to not have a copy of this available in the classroom. I would go so far as to say you could get by with this resource alone in conjunction with the source materials. For English teachers who could care less about Shakespeare (Why, oh why, are you teaching English, you silly silly person!?) this resource allows you to quickly glean the plot of EVERY play, the major themes, a look into the major characters, plot overview, famous actors who have acted out certain roles, the historical context of each play, a bit about what is known for sure about Billy Shakes (not much, unfortunately outside official birth, wedding, and death documentation). There is also wonderful ephemera and trivia inserted here and there. The book itself is entertaining enough to be read by itself, which isn't a easy thing to say for a reference book.Even for those people who consider themselves well versed in the dramatic works of Shakespeare, you will be enriched for having read this. Even though the majority of the book is dedicated to the plays of Shakespeare, it does touch upon his poetry, with a section devoted to the sonnets.PROS:+ Perfect quick reference guide+ Indispensable when planning lessons+ Allows even the uninitiated access to Shakespeare+ Wonderfully and intuitively laid out+ Includes trivia, and other miscellaneous information about Shakespeare, not just his plays.CONS:<none>

This is a true DK companion book. It has a lot of information, but does not get into too much detail. There are plenty of nice photos and pictures of old paintings, drawings, etchings, etc... But if you are looking for expert, in depth analysis of the plays I recommend either purchasing the Pelican edition of individual plays or investigating this fantastic book: Shakespeare: The Essential Guide to the Plays.This book delves a bit into the life and history of Shakespeare and then summarizes the plays. It's a great companion, but it is not a good text for those researching the plays or studying Shakespeare in University. I would say it's targeted for a younger audience, or those with a familiarity with Shakespeare and who want just a little slice of everything he wrote.I have been extremely happy with the Pelican books, a few that I have that I HIGHLY recommend are listed here: Titus Andronicus (The Pelican Shakespeare) King Lear (The Pelican Shakespeare)  (has both Folio and Quarto editions!) Macbeth (The Pelican Shakespeare) For a better and more thorough Shakespeare text go here: Shakespeare: The Essential Guide to the Plays

I borrowed this book from the public library & as soon as I opened it, I knew I would buy it.Although it is intended as a reference book, I suppose, I read it from cover to cover as soon as I got it home.If you are just "getting into" the Bard, this handbook will get you up to speed.If you are a casual play-goer, reading the appropriate bits BEFORE attending a performance will make the experience more relevant for you, IMHO.I have read that this book is a bit too simplistic for "real" Shakespeare afficionados but I am not one of those, and this suits me to a "T". I am an old man & have been reading Shakespeare & going to performances of his plays for decades. Dunton-Downer's book has a great deal to teach me.This book is a high quality production, beautifully printed on quality paper and chock full of photos & illustrations.

We belong to a Shakespeare reading group. This volume provides an excellent resource for all of the Bard's plays and poetry in addition to extensive biographical information about Shakespeare and his times. It has just the right amount of detail and is very readable.

This book is great, whether you need an introduction to Shakespeare and his works or if you already enjoy Shakespeare and would like a reference. This book has chapters on the life of Shakespeare (without going into "conspiracy theory"-type discussions) and the period he lived in. It has a synopsis for each play and other info which puts the play in context. It also discusses prose written by the Bard. And throughout the book are illustrations which include contemporary artwork, photos of areas relevent to the works, stills from movies based on the plays, pictures of unusual productions, etc. and many sidebars. On top of all this the book is of a decent size where it is possible to take it along on trips or deployments. Overall, well worth the money paid.

Dorling-Kindersley has mastered the art of providing maximum information in minimal space, and with gorgeous illustrations. Each play is covered in about 10-15 pages. The character list summarizes each person's role in the story, and gives the number of lines they speak; characters are also identified by handy icons for "identify change" "dies", "ghost" etc. The plot summary is highlighted with similar icons for "play within a play" , "soliloquy" and my favorite, "not dead after all!" The whole thing is lavishly illustrated with photos and paintings from famous productions and movies.mThis is a terrific refresher to flip through right before a performance, and essential reading for those attending Shakespeare for the first time.

Despite the fact that I have never heard of the authors - and no brief biography of them is given - this is rather a good book to have and to hold. In the Dorling Kindersley tradition, it is certainly very colourful, with plenty of well-chosen and evocative illustrations. There are brief introductory essays on what is known about Shakespeare's life, his time, his theatre, his language and his canon (including other contenders).But the bulk of the book comprises introductions and concise analyses of all his plays. We are provided for each play with a list of the parts (including the number of lines for each part); a synopsis of the plot; a one-page commentary; and a look at how each play has been performed over the years - all within about seven pages. In addition there are useful analyses such as the length of each play (and of each act), the percentages between poetry and prose, plus a brief `who's who'. There are, of course, numerous extracts.After the plays there are reviews of his non-dramatic poetry, including an analysis of one of the sonnets. Finally, the end of the book has features on `Global Shakespeare', an overview of the Bard's global impact. For example, we learn that even today, "Shakespeare is more widely read and performed in Germany than any other playwright. This section also looks at how Shakespeare has been interpreted from all parts of the political spectrum. It ends with what can only be but a brief overview of Shakespeare's influence in other arts, from portraiture to opera.The book is not without its problems - the odd glib remark or contradiction - but these are few and far between. All in all this is useful tome to have on the shelf for reference, and will probably be my first port of call when needing to gen up on a particular play prior to seeing it at the theatre.

Simply indispensable for getting a good overview on all of Shakespeare's plays and wonderfully organised and laid out. Included are some impressive and useful information, such as comparing a plays length in lines against all the others, for example by listing the plays with the most lines and where the current play your looking at stands in comparison. I really like that, and I've found the summaries of the plays to be spot on and easy to follow (considering this is Shakespeare.) So if you're looking for a good value book to aide your study, or just one that will help increase your overall knowledge of Shakespeare's plays, then I couldn't recommend a better book than this one.

Provides a great overview of Shakespeare and the plays. Each play has a section covering the basic plot, the characters and a more detailed act by act plot breakdown. I like the way the different types of play (histories, comedies etc) are colour coded, enabling easy reference. The multitude of pictures adds to the visual quality of the book and lighten the tone.While this is not aimed at the Masters scholar, this is an interesting aid for other students and anyone who is interested in Shakespeare.Highly recommended.

This book is just what one expects from Dorling Kindersley. Very high quality production and very easy to read. It does not pretend to be an academic textbook but it provides a very good synopsis of the plot and other interesting aspects of each play and it sets each of them in the context of Shakespeare's career. Definitely enhances ones enjoyment of the plays and interesting to read both before and after going to the play.

This is a great starter book for anyone who wants to know Shakespeare's work better. There is no substitute for studying the texts themselves but this book provides background and an overview of all the individual works and the collections (Comedies, Tragedies, ...) that makes the texts more immediately accessible and also provides a valuable reference point when you need a reminder about a character or direction of the plot, soi it is exactly what it says on the cover - an Essential Shakespeare Handbook.