New York Times Includes Shakespeare in a Divided America on Ten Best Fiction and Non-Fiction Titles of 2020 List

The New York Times Book Review singles out Shakespeare in a Divided America (Penguin, 2020) by James Shapiro as one of the ten greatest reads published this year. According to the editors, Shapiro, "the author of 'Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?' and '1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare' has outdone himself." Further: 

He takes two huge cultural hyper-objects — Shakespeare and America — and dissects the effects of their collision. Each chapter centers on a year with a different thematic focus. The first chapter, “1833: Miscegenation,” revolves around John Quincy Adams and his obsessive hatred of Desdemona. The last chapter, “2017: Left | Right,” where Shapiro truly soars, analyzes the notorious Central Park production of “Julius Caesar.” 

Learn more at the New York Times.