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The miraculous and romantic story of Shakespeares First Folio, and of the American industrialist whose thrilling pursuit of the book became a lifelong obsession Mayss narrative is so fast-moving, and peppered with such fascinating detail, it almost reads like a thriller Entertainment Weekly, Grade A. When Shakespeare died in 1616, half of his plays died with him. No onenot even their authorbelieved that his writings would last. In 1623, seven years after his death, Shakespeares business partners, companions, and fellow actors gathered copies of his plays and manuscripts and published thirty-six of them. This massive book, the First Folio, was intended as a memorial to their deceased friend. They could not have known that it would become one of the most important books ever published in the English language.