The Man who Invented Shakespeare

»I am sort of haunted by the conviction that the divine William is the biggest and most successful fraud ever practised on a patient world«, Henry James wrote in 1903.

Although it’s been suspected for the last 100 years that William Shakespeare (1564-1616) from Stratford-upon-Avon cannot have been the author of the dramas of the genius William Shakespeare, conclusive proof could not be established. This situation has changed thanks to Kurt Kreiler’s sensational findings. The world, Kreiler maintains, has been systematically cheated by an incommensurable and unique conspiracy.
»Shakespeare« was the nom de plume chosen by an artist who originated from the English aristocracy in order not to be identified as a playwright by the common people. His name: Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford (1550-1604).
Kreiler quotes dozens of contemporary allusions, which generations of interpreters have ignored and overlooked. He reveals the masks and names behind which the poetic Earl concealed his identity.
Presumably »Oxford’s« heirs would have revealed the master's identity after his death, had not an »operational accident« occurred...

»Without a doubt: Kreiler’s book is enthralling and offers food for thought. The brilliance with which he argues his thesis, underpinned by a wealth of astonishing details, is matched by his spirited unfolding of the historical panorama of intrigue at the Elizabethan court [...] the debate will continue.« Der Spiegel

»The abundance of historical sources Kreiler presents to the reader is impressive, as is likewise his comprehensive knowledge of Elizabethan literature. One notes with astonishment that he was able to shape this wealth of material into a coherent picture.« die Drei