"[Harkup] speculates about what Shakespeare knew about causes of death; like other contemporary playwrights, he did know that audiences loved violence. A brisk, informative, and startling look at Shakespeare. " - Kirkus " Fans of the Bard are sure to devour this , but even those with only a passing familiarity with Shakespeare's oeuvre will find Harkup's survey tough to resist." - Publishers Weekly STARRED review "The research is concrete, and the writing is infused with sly humor. Harkup serves a delectable stew of history, science, and wit that is sure to sate the appetite of any Anglophile. " - Booklist "Harkup leaves no stone unturned in her immensely thorough and compelling distillation of the Bard's work, Death by Shakespeare .Her narrative will attract and intrigue readers who appreciate the macabre, eager for the enriching wisdom offered by two masters in their fields. A fascinating, thorough examination and scientific analysis of notable deaths that pervade the stage works of William Shakespeare.

" - Shelf Awareness "For fans of the Bard, Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings, and Broken Hearts is the book they didn't know they always wanted to read." - BookPage "The author of A Is for Arsenic and Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein continues her macabre cultural musings with an immensely readable roundup of Shakespearean death ." - Smithsonian Magazine "Light enough to be a quick read for fun but hefty enough to educate, this is a book that any student would be happy to study for a class, and it's a solid addition to any nonfiction or Shakespearean fan's collection. Yet again, Harkup has delivered a satisfying, sterling examination of an iconic figure's literary contributions to history. " - Criminal Element "Well-written and intriguing, the book provides a rich behind-the-scenes look at science and historical fact, using the focus on death to deepen understanding of Shakespeare's life and work. Hereby hangs a tale." - Historical Novel Society "Harkup dives into Shakespeare's deadly times with an eye for detail and anecdote and a scientist's detachment from the gruesome details of the fate in store for so many in the days before antibiotics and vaccines.Death By Shakespeare is a macabre but fascinating read, rich in historical context, scientific insight, and intriguing asides .

" - Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine "Harkup's enjoyable and informative survey presents this somatic Shakespeare for the Horrible Histories generation" - Times Literary Supplement "Were I a school-teacher introducing phone-addicted teens to Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet, I'd go in big on Shakespeare's 'violent delights'." - Daily Mail "Serious scholarship meets horrid histories. Kathryn Harkup located Death by Shakespeare within the contexts of science and medicine, health and safety, crime and punishment, and in the process gives us tour de force descriptions of Juliet's deep coma, Cleopatra's asp, Ophelia's drowning and the carnage at Agincourt, among other celebrated exits. It's a good read - never morbid, and full of insights into the Tudor way of death and how far we've come" - Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, cultural historian, writer and broadcaster.