The books of the Englishman Peter Ackroyd are widely known not only in his homeland, but also in Russia. A poet, novelist, author of biographies, Ackroyd has published about four dozen books, an important place among which is the biography of his great compatriot William Shakespeare. Published in 2005, the biography, like everything written by Akroyd about England the British of different eras, is distinguished by a deep knowledge of the history and culture of the country. Placing his hero in the context of the Elizabethan era, the author notes many curious details characteristic of it. "I'm trying to come up with a new kind of biography, to look at the story from a different angle," Ackroyd admitted in one of his interviews. Apparently, he brilliantly completed this task.