The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folios

"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