The Millionaire and the Bard

The Millionaire and the Bard weaves a thrilling tale of literary detective work, high financial stakes, and the vision of one man, Henry Folger, to preserve one of the great written treasures of civilization. A splendid debut by Andrea Mays. -Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana and A World on Fire The Millionaire and the Bard is a riveting narrative history about Shakespeare taking root in America. Every page sparkles with crisp prose and smart insights. I find myself cheering for Henry Folger to procure the treasured First Folios. Highly recommended! -Douglas Brinkley, author of Cronkite A fascinating account of Henry Clay Folger's obsession with the Shakespeare First Folio. Folger amassed the collection he had dreamed out, and it is now one of the greater glories of the library in Washington, D.C., that bears his name. The achievement is all the more extraordinary in that Folger was not born into a wealthy family or privileged class. Now the full story has been told in splendid detail by Andrea Mays. -David Bevington, author Shakespeare and Biography and editor of The Complete Works of Shakespeare [Mays] honorably resurrects this affluent, rapacious eccentric who became wholly consumed with the acquisition of a priceless bonanza of Shakespeariana. A methodical opuscomprising intensive memoir and inquisitive investigation. -Kirkus Reviews Effortless in its unadorned storytelling and exacting in its research. ... The book is evocative in its characterizations of both the deified bard and dedicated bibliophile, finding its structure in the parallels between these two ambitious yet mysterious men. ... [A] page-turning detective story [that] speaks to anyone with a love of literary history. -Publishers Weekly Mays' first book is utterly enthralling thanks to her deep sympathy with the Folgers and her fascinated, unstuffy prose. -Booklist (starred review) Fascinating ... illuminating ... poignant. ... Recommended for all book lovers, Shakespeare fans, and anyone interested in America's Gilded Age. -Library Journal A love story . . . Fun and even suspenseful . . . Awell-researched and surprisingly engrossing account. -The Wall StreetJournal Riveting . . . Engaging . . . An American love story. -Stephen Greenblatt, The New York Times Book Review [Mays] book does a fine job of discussing how Folger went about acquiring his treasures and what those treasures were and why they are important in literary history . . . a really interesting book. -The Chicago Tribune The Millionaire and the Bard, Andrea Mays' labor-of-love history of the Shakespeare's First Folio and of Standard Oil executive Henry Folger's obsession to acquire every possible copy . . . gives an exacting and very readable account of how the folio came to be - and how easily it might not have been. -Dallas Morning News Captivating [and] fascinating. ... A great story, wonderfully told, that book lovers, readers and collectors will savor. -Shelf Awareness Snappy [and] enjoyable -NPR