Shakespeare's kings / Norwich, John Julius

Compares the events and characters in Shakespeare's nine historical plays with actual events in England during the period the dramas represent, and concludes that while the playwright was a reliable historian, he did not hesitate to take liberties with fact in order to enhance his fiction.

Norwich draws on his knowledge of both the Middle Ages and of Shakespeare's era to reveal why Shakespeare telescoped time, ignored certain facts, and embellished or created characters.