Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival
by Stephen Greenblatt
Harvard literary scholar Stephen Greenblatt takes on the life of Christopher (aka Kit) Marlowe, the playwright of the Elizabethan era and rival of Shakespeare. Marlowe died at age 29 in what was apparently a pub brawl, but his murder has always been the subject of much speculation. The New York Times described the book as a “terrific read.”