Michael Blanding Boeken

In this gripping non-fiction narrative, rogue scholar Dennis McCarthy, dubbed "the Steve Jobs of the Shakespeare community," investigates the connection between Sir Thomas North, an Elizabethan courtier, and Shakespeare's plays. For fifteen years, McCarthy has pursued the true origins of Shakespeare's works, employing plagiarism software to uncover direct links between iconic plays like Hamlet and Macbeth and North's writings. He posits that while Shakespeare authored the plays, he adapted them from North's earlier works, many created for North's patron, Robert Dudley, in a bid to win Queen Elizabeth's favor. This bold theory offers fresh insights into longstanding questions about Shakespeare, bolstered by the discovery of North's travel journal, which contains details mirrored in Shakespeare's narratives. The book alternates between North's dramatic life, the intrigues of the Tudor court, and McCarthy's efforts to present his controversial ideas within the insular world of Shakespearean scholarship. With a keen journalistic eye, the author crafts a compelling drama that challenges our understanding of the beloved playwright and his so-called "singular genius."

In this gripping non-fiction narrative, rogue scholar Dennis McCarthy, dubbed "the Steve Jobs of the Shakespeare community," explores the connection between Sir Thomas North, an Elizabethan courtier, and Shakespeare's plays. For over fifteen years, McCarthy has pursued the true origins of Shakespeare's works, employing plagiarism software to uncover direct links between iconic plays like Hamlet and Macbeth and North's writings. He posits that while Shakespeare authored the plays, he adapted them from North's earlier works, many of which were created for North's patron, Robert Dudley, in his attempts to win Queen Elizabeth's favor. This bold theory sheds light on longstanding questions about Shakespeare, supported by newly discovered journals detailing North's travels in France and Italy, which align with settings in Shakespeare's plays. The narrative alternates between North's dramatic life, the intrigues of the Tudor court, and McCarthy's efforts to present his controversial ideas within the insular world of Shakespearean scholarship. The author uses a sharp journalistic approach to create a compelling and accessible drama, challenging conventional perceptions of the renowned playwright and his celebrated genius.

A controversial exposé on how Coca-Cola rose to one of the world's most profitable and recognized brands shares unsettling reports on franchise deals in adversarial nations, the role of company products in obesity rates and the environmental impact of its bottling practices.

Once considered a respectable rare-map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley made millions and was highly esteemed for his knowledge; until he was arrested for slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. Though pieces of the story have been told before, Blanding is the first reporter to gain access to Smiley himself after he'd gone silent. Although Smiley swears he has admitted to all of the maps he stole, libraries claim he stole hundreds more, and offer evidence to prove it. Now, through a series of exclusive interviews, Blanding teases out the whole story.