WILL'S TREASON - Shakespeare & the Gunpowder Plot

You make history fascinating.
Wonderful

:)

Magnificent! I look forward to reading the full version when it is published, as I expect it will. Backed with pleasure.

Eduardo P. Olaguer
"The Power of Four: Keys to the Hidden Treasure of the Gospels"

Simon, what a great plot. I love Shakespeare but we know so little about him. THis should be good. thanks and good luck. backed. if possible could you look at You Turn

Thorough and fluent, intricate and accessible, this promises to be a monumental piece of writing. The pitch (necessarily long) draws the interested reader in, and the research keeps him there.
Excellent - backed.
Peter Wild
Double Action

The long pitch of your book is very interesting and I intend to read in leisure.Putting on the book in the watch list and backed it with pleasure.

Do find some time to read my book and give your precious comment.

Surabhi
A Skein of Geese

WILL’S TREASON
This is an interesting book. I confess to knowing less about Shakespeare than I’m sure I should, so I found this immensely interesting. It’s the kind of book I would buy to take on vacation when I know I’d have time to really sink into it because I wouldn’t want to miss this glimpse of history in a hurry to get to work. It’s a good read. I’m adding this to my shelf. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

I find this very interesting, but also a bit flat at times. I think it could do very well in scholarly circles, but I'm not sure about mass media. Really, I think you've done a great job, I just think it would help the book if you found some slightly more exciting way to portray it. But if your goal is the scholarly circles, then well done, right on track, and don't listen to me for a second.

The Bobster

The book cover is a little strange but I love th ewriting! Very well paced and crafted! BACKED

Liz
The Chheech Room

Excellent writing, You bring the story to such reality well done for so much great research.

A very scholarly, but highly readable piece of work. I thought I knew my Shakespeare fairly well, but I can now see that I have neglected The Sonnets. I shall have to give some time to them.
You covered the sucession of James I and the reasons behind it very well, togther with the politics of the time.
I hope this finds a publisher because it would be a welcome edition to anyone who is interested in this period of history.

Simon, I've looked at your first chapter. Your non-fiction piece succeeded in holding my interest. I can't fault your writing.

Backed!

Joffrey (The Silver Spoon Effect)

Simon,
Will's Treason - a treasure grove for me, who is only superficially familiar with English History, to get a feel of the setting which informed and inspired Shakespeare's tragedies, and also the role he played around the time when King James came to the throne. And there are the interesting observations about the sonnets. I would enjoy having the book in my hands. Best success.
Pia (Course of Mirrors)

Convincing and with real weight behind it...with these things you have to be convinced by the author from the word go, and I was.

I don't know how non-fiction, especially history, will do on this site, but surely there is somebody in the real world who will snap this up?

Very very good and well written. I truly enjoyed reading your work and firmly believe this should be published. Thank you for your many insights. Quite a read

Backed (The God Equation)

WILL'S TREASON:

Simon,

You kindle an almost dead flame within me, making me suddenly want to reach for "The Sonnets" and read them again after a huge gap of reading no Shakespeare whatsoever, of almost forgetting his existence.
It seems to me that a great deal of original thought and research has gone into the writing of this book.
Absolutely fascinating, and I do hope it gets published.

Backed without question,
Sheila (Pinpoint)

Now *here's* a book I can really get into. Great subject (can't ever get quite enough of Shakespeare bios) with a good premise and lively writing.

Simon.A.S,
I enjoyed reading your book you have a keen eye for detail and must be a great fan of Shakespeare.
Good luck getting your book published I have backed it and would 100% buy it.
Edward Davies (Yes you do know me!)

Dear Simon Andrew Stirling,

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I skipped to chapter three to cover less-traveled ground and was rewarded by the interment of Papists as a precautionary measure. When in doubt, imprison some Papists, I always say. I laughed at the “Queen died insane, or more remarkably, a Catholic”. You suck me into the court machinations, and the peaceful balance of power is a pleasant surprise. It’s rare to hear a word of slander against Shakespeare, which is part of why your story is so intriguing. The other two parts are your exhaustive research and your almost lighthearted delivery, just giving me enough to know what’s going on. Quite possibly the most entertaining history I’ve read. Again, you present the edginess of history, saying how the attentions will spoil the king, and his subsequent threat to show all his petitioners his arse. You have a hilarious description of the king and his mannerisms. I can see why little changed when Cecil managed so much for both rulers. It seems a delicate process teasing out Shakespeare’s religious and political leanings, since he made an effort to obfuscate them.

An impressive work, and now I’m curious about your other one concerning “King” Arthur. Is it still on this site?

Bravo! Backed.

Best wishes,
Alan Marling

Hi Simon,
Will's Treason is an exemplar of careful scholarship. I picked up this book after reading another very good book on site chronicling The Gunpowder Plot. Glad I did. You've uncovered a fascinating premise and supported it well with primary and secondary sources and a convincing explication and interpretation of historical facts. Backed with awe.
Niobrara Karnova (The Trouble with Wives)

This is a fascinating book. There have been many books written about Shakespeare, but there's always room for one more. I was particularly interested in the details you gave about the discovery of a Testament, possibly Cardinal Borromeo's Testamente of the Soul, in the roof of Shakespeare's birthplace in 1757. I think it is always important not to read too much into things, but certainly it is possible that this was hidden by John Shakespeare and that he adhered to the Catholic religion. However, possible is not definite. I think you often, like many writers in this field, make the mistake of taking a possibility for a proven fact. Nevertheless, you have produced the beginning of a very interesting book here. The suggested link to the Gunpowder Plot is bound to attract attention, and I know that I myself would greatly enjoy reading the rest of your book in due course. You have given us a well written piece of work. Backed.
Gerry McCullough,
Belfast Girls.

This is fantastic! I felt like I had been transported to another time. And I loved your opening. It read like like a fictional scene. On my shelf,

Rachael

The great advantage Shakespeare had over other writers was that he didn't have to compare himself to Shakespeare. This is an interesting thesis and illumines a dark age in British history.
Frank

Fascinating, just fascinating. I struggle to begin to understand how you managed to compile all this information and turn it into a book. I cannot criticise the contents here without doing research of my own, and, let's face it, I'm too lazy to check your facts anyway. From a literary point of view, I found this interesting, as well as easy, to read. Why our English teachers couldn't make this much sense of it all I dont know, instead dribbling on in their daft little ways. This should be compulsory reading for all students who are forced to read the works of old Shakey, that way they might gain a better understanding of the man and appreciate the fine work he concocted instead of dreading it.

Andrew

Your underlying general thesis in Will's Treason is that to be properly understood Shakespeare's work must be interpreted in the context of his personal background and experience and the historical context of the age in which he lived. You seek to demonstrate this by analysis and explanation of specific individual sonnets and plays, and you set about this with considerable authority. Your work is well written, based on [apparently - I am no expert] solid research, and proceeds logically from evidence to conclusions as reputable academic studies should. My only suggestion is that you should bring forward the explanation of your general proposition from the start of C2 to the very beginning of C1, so that the reader can interpret all your subsequent specific examples in their proper overall context. I'm happy to back this as a fine piece of historical analysis.

Where do I find the finished product?

Wow, I only read a little of this. But I could easily see this in our High School and College literature classes. Such good research and great writing. I am not sure what else to say. You have "Will" pegged!
EJ

Simon!
I expect to buy this book and put it on the shelf next to the Complete Works of Shakespeare. You have revealed two great things; first, another layer to the genius of The Bard's work and secondly have shown yourself to be a writer of great depth. Your research is meticulous and your writing style fits your work perfectly. You unfold the story to us in a fascinating way. I feel like I'm watching a very high brow documentary. I am impressed. This is excellent. One of the very best non-fiction books on the site, hands down. Well done, my friend.

Fascinating. You really have done your research and the subject matter is compelling. And the tie-in between Shakespeare and actual events in British history, such as the Gunpowder Plot, brings these events to life better than any dry history book. And your promise to reveal a whole new Shakespeare to us -- this is powerful material with a fresh approach not seen before.

Shelved.

This proved to be interesting reading. I think you've done a lot of work and research and put much work into it. Well done. My major was drama and we did a lot of the Shakespeare plays. The sonnets and a lover's compaint were mostly ignored, so it's good to find out more about both. I don't know if I'd actually buy this book, but I would definitely take it out the library and read it from cover to cover. Shakespeare rules!

Quenntis
Tales Tell Tales
Dancing with mini-shorts

Hello Simon! I have just finished reading the first two chapters of your book and I will be backing it, wholeheartedly, when I finish these comments. I have always loved to learn about history and the times you are addressing are particularly compelling. You have helped tie up many of the loose ends and weaved those ends in such a way as to bring much needed clarity to the works of Shakespeare, my beloved poet and playwright. I do have a few minor complaints and/or suggestions. My comments follow but please note that I am not an expert, by any means. However, I have been told by many on Authonomy, that I'm pretty good at this. Let's see what you think.
CHAPTER ONE: Loved the quote by Molin! Southwell had been smuggled back. Perhaps a few words here, very brief, regarding why he was away in the first place, is warranted, even though you cover it in detail later. I've had just a bit of trouble with the deliverance of your timeline. We are, obviously, already going back in history with the entire story, but the many forward, then backward, then forward again steps are a bit confusing. This first chapter seems to be more of an introduction or Prologue and, perhaps, would serve better, as such, if it was named so.
CHAPTER TWO: I think the first two paragraphs of this chapter are not necessary. Contemporary Russian history really has nothing to do with YOUR story. Your smart reader knows, without being told, that events of the time are valuable clues to the essence of any work of art, whether it be in print, on the stage, or on canvas or in stone. And the paragraph that follows and begins 'William Shakespeare is probably...' says it all anyway. 'the King's break with Rome and the killing of the King' I would suggest adding the proper names of the kings here for clarity's sake. 'town and villages' Shouldn't 'town' be plural, too? I would delete 'the cult of' for a stronger idea. Again, in the two paragraphs that start with 'Reading Shakespeare without...', I would encourage you to drop the references and comparisons to recent Russian history. It is distracting because the comparison isn't needed. It almost seems as if you are trying to show your reader how knowledgeable you are about Russian history, but I think that would be done better in another book altogether. The paragraph that begins 'There can be little wonder...' and the paragraph that follows, seems as if you feel you must justify your book's existence. Not necessary. Just tells us your story, including any needed background info, and leave out the Op-Ed. Just my humble opinion. A comma is needed after 'proximity in time'. I would change 'many years on' to 'many years later'. Perhaps 'amazement' would be better than 'amazedness'. I would delete 'of the Birthplace' for a stronger sentence. When you tell your reader about the Catholics being buried at the crossroads, rather than in consecrated ground, you need a short sentence of explanation for your non-Catholic readers as to the importance of a consecrated burial. Why this was such a blatant and cruel trampling of long-held beliefs.
Well, Simon, that is about it. Except to say that it often seems that your book is being written toward an audience of already well-versed fans of Shakespeare. I would encourage you to keep in mind that your book, if written in more layman's terms throughout, might appeal to those not so learned and lure them toward the enjoyment of Shakespeare, who has remained too haughty for many. You and I know different, obviously. I hope you can dicipher my comments and I hope that some of them help. Keep at this as I would love to pick it up someday to learn more and more about The Gunpowder Plot and Will's participation in it. Backing it right now......

Simon, I like this. The feel of the time and the people is very good. I'm not keen on your opening lines about the Thames, though. If it were me, I would start with 'On a warm day . . .' Overall, you have a good structure to this but to be certain, I would have to read everything and stand back to view it. The trouble with writing non-fiction, especially where the focus is on people and events, is striking a balance between narrative and description. In academic works you often find that the narrative is lost in the description so you cannot see what the author is actually writing about. You have a clear idea of what you are writing about and why you are writing it. I think the danger is always that it is very easy to slip in the passive voice so that the reader is distanced but, on the other hand, too much of an active voice makes it sound like a novel. My feeling is that you veer a little too much towards the passive and I would like to see more of the narrative as you start with the distraught woman because this makes it more accessible to the reader. Will's Treason is something I would be happy to read if I came across it in a bookshop so I am happy to back you.

Simon, I like this. The feel of the time and the people is very good. I'm not keen on your opening lines about the Thames, though. If it were me, I would start with 'On a warm day . . .' Overall, you have a good structure to this but to be certain, I would have to read everything and stand back to view it. The trouble with writing non-fiction, especially where the focus is on people and events, is striking a balance between narrative and description. In academic works you often find that the narrative is lost in the description so you cannot see what the author is actually writing about. You have a clear idea of what you are writing about and why you are writing it. I think the danger is always that it is very easy to slip in the passive voice so that the reader is distanced but, on the other hand, too much of an active voice makes it sound like a novel. My feeling is that you veer a little too much towards the passive and I would like to see more of the narrative as you start with the distraught woman because this makes it more accessible to the reader. Will's Treason is something I would be happy to read if I came across it in a bookshop so I am happy to back you.

This is brilliant!

Keep up the good work.

Christopher Couture
(Life In Pink & Superhated)

An eminently readable and well researched book, easy to become involved in and genuinely interesting. I like the way you approach your subject matter and congratulate you on your efforts. The historical biography is a tough genre, it is so hard to get the balance right between presenting your facts and not losing readability. You have trod the fine line very well on the evidence presented here. Shelved.

Chapter 2. It 's an interesting analogy you draw with Solzhenitzin, and as I read I had in my mind that Freud and Jung's work was also interpreted out of context. Then you mentioned Jung and synchronicity!
I did get a little lost with the plethora of names which followed, and it would have helped if I had known at the outset that John Shakespeare was Will's father. This does not become obvious until you return to the drowning incident. Sorry to be pedantic, but I checked back several times because I didn't know whether or not Shakespeare was a common name at the time.

Hi Simon,
First impression: A tour de force. I've just been transported back to my university days and wish that the text books had been as gripping as WILL's TREASON. The first chapter caught my imagination instantly and reference to Robert Southwell tranported me to Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, a C15 refuge for Jesuit Priests - as I am sure you know. The wealth of historical and literary information in the first chapter alone is overwhelming - and that's from someone who has an English History degree. I'm now going to reread Ch1.
I can concentrate now that England have just won the Ashes! Shelved of course.
Best wishes
Susy (FINDING JINGO)

I have learned so much this afternoon just reading this one chapter, and now, how I wish I had possessed this book years ago when I was reading the sonnets. You are making me want to buy this and start studying them again.
I love how you begin with the scene on the Oxford meadow (Cristchurch?). It is so important to me that a book has a sense of place. And then as you reveal the various strands of intrigue and distil the true facts, from much research I imagine, you refer back to the tableau time and again so that by the time I reach the end of the chapter I can see it as clearly as any painting fleshed out in detail and colour.
I think I have an ahistorical mind: I can't retain historical fact, but you showed me the meaning of expressions like 'charity of age' which I could never have guessed at, and which lead me to believe that this book would clarify and reval many things hitherto lost to me in my readings of the. bard.

I wondered why you use'comely' for the distance from the maid rather than the maid herself. A 'comely maid' is familiar and the juxtaposition here, pulled me up. I see it's a quote, though, so it must be right.

It's hard to use the footnotes while reading online. I really do hope this will be published soon. I for one will buy it. Best of luck. Julia ( Sea of Straw)

The Huguenot family I base my novel on ended up in London in the latter part of the 1600s, so this is a century I am particularly interested in. I also love reading about the Tudors and have read most of Gregory's books, although I do think she fabricates somewhat. Well that is a historical FICTION writer's prerogative. You, on the other hand, have put together a most scholarly work and one that required a great deal of research. What a wonderful achievement. This is a book I would want in my research library to refer to again and again. Definitely worth shelving.

Betty K (The Huguenot's Destiny)

As always, your knowledge and passion for your subject shine through in your writing. I read all you have up and enjoyed every line. I'm amazed that they checked possible suicides back then, really amazed. A great piece of work. Happy to shelve.

Will’s Treason.

Simon, sorry for the delay in getting to this. And o boy, what a lot of research you have done for Will’s Treason.

And excellent writing, of course. :o}

I enjoyed your first chapter about the ‘fickle maid’.

In chapter two, I was surprised to learn that as far back as 1579 they'd exhumed the body of a young woman to determine whether or not she’d committed suicide. Didn't know they did that way back then. Very interesting, and also very shocking that people could do something like this to the poor souls who did commit suicide. ~ Traditionally, those who had taken their own lives were buried at a crossroads where passers-by could hurl stones and potsherds at their graves.

Also, most interesting, was her name, eh?

Had to look up ‘potsherds’. At first I’d thought it was a typo for pot shards as I hadn't come across this spelling before. Was 'properest' as in ~ ‘this was the properest man that ever came to Tyburn for hanging’ ~ a kind of slang word used back then?

Have copied and pasted Chapter Three to add to One and Two in a Word document for easy viewing, again.

All the very best,

Cáit ~ Muckers ~

This was an honor to have on my shelf. Your writing moves quite nicely and your writing is fantastic. Overall, this story was an amzing read, and I can't stop thinking about it. Best of luck with this!

-Luna

I love history and this is top notch writing. You kept things interesting and the flow pulls the reader along nicely. Happy to shelve.

Melissa

Backed. This is very readable, and very accomplished.

On a personal note, I read absolute no non-fiction (an aversion since Uni), but this is so welcoming I think it works perfectly.

Whether your intention or not, if I didn't know this was non-fiction, I probably would have read it!

Cheers, and good luck,

Craig

Reading this again - I backed it a few weeks ago - confirms me in an idea I had about it. It is such fun, and such a broad way with research, that if you don't get the scholarly treatment you are looking for, that you ought to re-issue it, suitably emended, as FICTION. I mean this quite seriously and sympathetically. It has the making of a very good book which would confuse everyone, scandalise pedants like me, and sell! It is a sufficiently plausible thesis to raise doubts in the minds of readers...what if it is true! Whatever - it ought to be true! It is true! Keep going DB

You've made learning about Shakespeare's life and times a must for me. A well researched and compelling tale that I look forward to finishing when it's published. Excellently crafted and humbly backed...JD

This is the real deal. Good work.

I had to shelve this book once I read it! The topic is very fluent, thoroughly researched. A great find!

L. Anne Carrington, "The Cruiserweight"

Fascinating stuff. You really seem to know what you're talking about -- you obviously did a lot of research, but your writing style and your fluid prose keeps it from being a boring history lesson. Far from it, in fact -- I actually like how the work has a kind of narrative tone to it. It reminds me of something like Azerad's "Our Band Could Be Your Life," where it tells the story of true events without making it *seem* like an academic exercise, but rather a *story to be told.*

Great stuff here, and I'm happy to back it.

Simon,
As before you have combined tons of research with an easily flowing writing style which makes the factual material seem like a novel (in the best possible way!). Shakespeare, like King Arthur, is a very appropriate person to speculate about, since we don't really know much more about him for sure than we do about the 'real' Arthur.
I don't have anything bad to say here - I think this will turn out to be an excellent read even for people who are only vaguely interested in Shakespeare. Surely someone will publish it before long!
Good luck,
Sheila

I only have time to read part of this and want to make time to read more. It is interesting and well written and going on my shelf so a better read later.

Jo xx