"SHAKESPEARE" BY ANOTHER NAME

The idea that Shakespeare's plays were written by someone other than the Stratford actor has been around for centuries. In this controversial audiobook, Mark Anderson contends that Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, was in fact their author. Simon Prebble, who has acted in Shakespearean dramas himself, does his usual first-rate job, with the narrative and the dramatic excerpts. This isn't an audiobook to listen to while you're distracted--particularly in this abridged format, the great number of historical characters and events are difficult to follow. But it's worth the effort. Overall, Anderson sticks to the evidence and doesn't sound defensive about his argument. Whether it holds up is for the specialists to determine, but the listener will find that he makes a compelling case. D.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]