Shakespeare at Thirty
$65.02
- Hardcover
352 pages
- Release Date
20 October 2026
Summary
Shakespeare at Thirty offers an original account of Shakespeare’s early career by returning to a moment before his fame was assured: the spring of 1594, when he turned thirty amid plague closures, censorship, social upheaval, financial insecurity, and professional uncertainty. Instead of reading Shakespeare’s beginnings through the lens of later achievement, Rory Loughnane reconstructs the precarious world in which a young actor-writer learned his craft and forged a path through a ra…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780691233277 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0691233276 |
| Author: | Rory Loughnane |
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press |
| Imprint: | Princeton University Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 352 |
| Release Date: | 20 October 2026 |
| Weight: | 380g |
| Dimensions: | 24mm x 150mm x 230mm |

You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
“An insightful study of the first 30 years of William Shakespeare’s life… . [Rory] Loughnane’s unique approach perceptively demonstrates that Shakespeare’s success was far from inevitable. Readers will relish this fresh take on the Bard.” * Publishers Weekly *
“Innovative… . Shakespeare at Thirty is an engaging, meticulously researched, and intellectually lively work. Its original approach breathes fresh life into an otherwise heavily trodden aspect of theatre history. By stopping the clock in 1594 Loughnane captures the energy of an artist on the precipice of his greatest achievements, but still operating in a world where nothing was yet guaranteed… A deeply grounded reminder that even the greatest literary careers begin with trial, error, and hard-won professional survival.”—William David Green, History Today
Rory Loughnane
Rory Loughnane is a Reader in Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent. His many books include Early Shakespeare, 1588–1594 and The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Early Modern Authorship. He is overseeing a new Oxford edition of the collected works of Christopher Marlowe.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.



