Thank You to the Researchers Who Have Put Together Sources that are both Fascinating and Thorough!
Many of these books I've picked up over the years to fulfill an interest I have in Elizabethan Life. When I began dramatizing what I'd discovered, this list is my primary resource materials that have provided me with fresh information time and time again. Anyone interesting in this subject will find them worthwhile reads! I've pulled many of the photos from Amazon - the links aren't live but you can do a quick search there or on another book vendor to get copies.
Shakespeare's and Southampton's Life Stories
The Life and Time of William Shakespeare by Hildegard Hammerschmidt-Hummel, Chaucer Press, 2007. Ten years in the writing, this is the definitive book of research for anyone interested in the intrigue of Elizabethan England. Ms. Hammerschmidt-Hummel has put together a beautiful book (full of pictures) with detailed sources to support her case of Shakespeare's involvement in the Catholic resistance. Her chronological outline at the end is particularly helpful to me as I piece together a dramatized version of events. Her conclusions were surprising, even to me after studying the subject for years.
Shakespeare & the Earl of Southampton, by G.P.V. Akrigg, Harvard University Press, 1968. An oldie but definitely a goody! Full of detailed information about Southampton's life, often on a year by year basis. Excellently supported with footnotes and a thorough index. This book is a must for any serious Southampton scholar - which perhaps I will one day be.
Will of the World by Stephen Greenblatt, W.W. Norton & Company publishers n New York, 2004. I got this book years ago during an English Literature Arts class at the University of Utah. When I was first presented with it, I found it interesting, but as I explored the political intrigue of the time, this book became central to my research. Greenblatt is pulls heavily from Shakespeare's works, interpreting the coded messages in specific lines in the plays and sonnets. He also includes wonderful background information on locations and significant events that help demonstrate their impact on Shakespeare's messages. Another must read.
Shadowplay by Clare Asquith, published by Public Affairs, a member of Perseus Books Groups, in 2005. I received this book from a friend who recognized my love of the subject and this book launched my investigation into coded messages of Shakespeare's time. Ms. Asquith's voice is friendly and inviting, she supports her interpretation with historical facts and is also wonderfully specific in pulling examples of text to illustrate her conclusions. The book includes an amazing chapter by chapter list of references in her notes section at the end of the book. The index is well organized and very helpful.
I've been eyeball deep into research and uncovered a terrific new source: "Quest for Shakspeare" by Joseph Pearce. Published by Ignatius Press in San Franscisco, this book came out in 2008. I couldn't put it down, and if you love research, you'll find lots of interesting detail with referenced sources that address both the issue of proving Shakespeare's Catholicism and confronting detractors of the theory. More importantly, Pearce embeds his research with heartfelt insights into the motives and emotional responses to the historical events of this period. Shakespeare, Pearce points out, was a man of great intelligence who was sensitive to the plights of his fellow Englishmen, passionate in his beliefs and dedicated in his efforts to address the political injustices common throughout his life. This is a time that is too often sanitized by historians. Yet, we can't truly understand Shakespeare or his work without understanding his world. I'm still digesting much of this book. I've no doubt it will inform my continued study of Shakespeare and his immortal works.
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Shakespeare Work Compilations
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by M.H. Abrams and published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2000 and beyond. This is a behemoth of a book! A whopping 2,973 pages. But if you need the original text of Shakespeare's contemporaries and predecessors, this is the book for you. Quite frankly, the golden age of British literature is contained in a relatively short window and most of this book is devoted to material immediately associated with Shakespeare's time period. A must read? Maybe not if you're trying to maintain a personal life, too. Or if you happen to be working on a Language Arts endorsement as I was several years ago. BUT, an excellent reference book for authors we don't access on a regular basis.
Shakespeare The Complete Works by G.E. Harrison, Harcourt, Brace and World Publishers, 1968 (my edition). I'm probably dating myself by including this now difficult to find edition, but I used it faithfully as I studied Shakespeare for performance at the University. Mine's well worn with lots of notes and I still refer to it for it's general introduction section which analyzes Shakespeare's success, highlights his life, describes England and the stage at the time, introduces textual analysis, and then presents several examples of Shakespeare criticism. Add to that, I can look at the beginning of each play for an indepth view of the basic plot along with commentary on the plays versus actual historical events. It's still a great book and it helped me earn my Masters!
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by Delphi Classics, 2012, Version 5.I bought this for my Kindle and it's proven an excellent addition to my library. Along with all the plays and sonnets, this volume includes Apocryphal plays and sonnets and several historical essays that are helpful in understanding Shakespeare's image throughout history. There are also some great biographical accounts and a section call "The People for Whom Shakespeare Wrote," Shakespeare's last will and testament and a glossary of Elizabethan Language.
Elizabethan Life
Elizabeth's London by Liza Picard, published by St. Martin's Griffin, N.Y. 2003. A lovely study of the common life features of furniture, Foreigners, Crime and Sex. There a great Appendix that explores words and currency. Ms. Picard has written it in a friendly voice so it's an easy read, yet thick with information.
The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Renaissance England by Kathy Lynn Emerson, published by Writer's Digest Books in 1996, Well organized for a writer with lists of specific for easy reference. Inclusive information including everyday life, government and war, and society.
Life in a Medieval...
Three books, all excellent, by Joseph and Frances Gies. Published by Harper Collins separately over four decades, each provides some excellent information in the time period before Shakespeare's Elizabethan period. But let's face it, time didn't move so quickly back then. I'm confident that life, especially in the country, can be understood by referring to this series. I found them all useful and do refer to them on occasion. 
Dark Lady of the Sonnets by Bernard Shaw, offered for free by Amazon whispernet, and written in 1910. Short but an interesting argument against some of the rumor that now surrounds William Shakespeare's sexuality. Shaw wrote this essay as the explanation of his position presented in a scene involving the Queen and the Dark Lady. Anyone interested specifically in the Dark Lady, or in Shakespeare's sexuality, should give this a read. BTW, he refers a great deal to the customs and attitudes of Shakespeare's time period.
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