A Life of William Shakespeare with portraits and facsimiles

"A Life of William Shakespeare" by Sidney Lee is a biography from the late 1800s which aims to give a plain and useful telling of the famous writer's life, focusing on the known facts of his career and legacy, and not so much on judging his work as art. The book starts by saying the author wants to provide a summary of the proven details of Shakespeare's life, since he believes this is missing from other books about the playwright. Lee says the book is the result of deep research, designed to clarify uncertainties about Shakespeare's origins, life story, writings. He points out that readers will find new understandings of important parts of Shakespeare's life, like his family, schooling, relationships, money matters, and the people he knew.