Although Shakespeare is the world's greatest writer, his work familiar all over the world, we know virtually nothing about the man himself. In "Shakespeare", historian and television presenter Michael Wood pieces together a more convincing portrait of our most famous playwright than was previously thought possible. The book provides a fresh narrative of Shakepeare's life, drawing on a wide range of primary sources. Rather than approaching Shakespeare as an isolated genius, Michael argues that he was very much a product of his place and time - a period of great upheaval that straddled the medieval and modern worlds. In doing so, Michael reinstates the image of Shakespeare as a thinking artist, his work based firmly in the religion, politics, culture and class antagonisms of his day. In this revealing biography, Michael asks the questions the Shakespeare industry has previously failed to address.