We do our best to bolster our arguments with evidence, where possible. It goes without saying that we recommend reading Marlowe’s Complaint. What follows is a list of books mentioned in the podcast that you may also enjoy.
Non-Fiction
Bakeless, John: Tragicall History of Christopher Marlowe. (Two volumes)
New York, Greenwood Press, 1942
Over 70 years old, but well worth reading if you can track down a copy of volume one, the biography. Volume two, the critical assessment of the plays and poems is both easier to find, and has aged less well.
Erne, Lukas: Shakespeare as Literary Dramatist.
Cambridge University Press, 2013.
An examination of the development of two different types of Early Modern play text, those designed for performance and those for reading.
Hodges, Peter: Marlowe’s Complaint. New Generation Publishing, 2021
The book that inspired the HIPS podcast. Points made in the podcasts are covered in much greater depth and detail, not to be missed.
Hoffman, Calvin: The Man who was Shakespeare. 1955
The best known Marlovian book, long out of print and something of a collector’s item.
Honan, Park: Christopher Marlowe: Poet & Spy. Oxford, OUP, 2005
A ‘life and works’ biography. It ends conventionally in 1593, but does not dismiss the possibility this might not tell the whole story: ‘History holds its doors open ‘(p355)
An essay exploring Marlowe’s authorship of As You like It (As You Lie Kit), includes a fully annotated edition of the play.
A two volume edition of Hamlet including the text of the play (Q2) and a comprehensive presentation of the evidence for Marlowe’s authorship.
Keatman, Martin & Phillips, Graham: The Shakespeare Conspiracy. London, Century, 1994.
Makes a strong case for Marlowe as the author of the Shakespeare cannon, then abandons it for a convoluted tale of Catholic conspiracy. A lot of speculation combined with some very thought provoking ideas.
Michell, John: Who Wrote Shakespeare? London, Thames & Hudson 1996.
A comprehensive survey of all the major candidates for the authorship of the Shakespeare plays, including William Shaksper of Stratford. Michell examines all the claims critically, and, although he makes no final judgement, is very positive about Marlowe.
Morgan, Cynthia: Every Word Doth Almost Tell My Name. iUniverse, 2022.
A collection of essays
Nicholl, Charles: The Reckoning. London, Harcourt, 1994. Revised edition 2002
A meticulous record of surviving documents and events leading up to that day in Deptford in May 1593. The conclusions can be disputed but the scholarship is not in doubt. A must read.
Pinksen, Daryl: Marlowe’s Ghost: The Blacklisting of the Man Who Was Shakespeare. iUniverse, 2008
The case for Marlowe.
Spivack, Bernard: Shakespeare and the Allegory of Evil. New York, Columbia University Press, 1958.
Traces how the Vice of the morality plays became the Villian (Barabas, Aaron, Iago) of the Early Modern stage.
Wraight, A.D.: Christopher Marlowe & Edward Alleyn. London, Adam Hart, 1993
The title should really be reversed. A sadly neglected study of Edward Alleyn, the scene-shaker himself.
Wraight, A.D.: The Story that the Sonnets Tell. London, Adam Hart, 1995
Although few would agree with everything proposed in this book it remains required reading for anyone interested in reading ‘Shakespeare’s Sonnets’ autobiographically.
Wraight, A.D. & Stern, V.: In Search of Christopher Marlowe. London, Vanguard 1965
Long out of print, but well worth tracking down for the beautiful photography.
Fiction
Burgess, Anthony: A Dead Man in Deptford. London, Hutchinson, 1993
A literary tour-de force, albeit not to all tastes.
Picard, Barbara Leonie: Tom Turnspit in The Friday Miracle & Other Stories. London: Puffin Books, 1969.
The story of 16th/17th century performance of Dr Faustus by a touring company, and how it changes the life of the lowliest kitchen boy. Although this is fiction the author was well versed in the history of the era. A strange coincidence is that the Joan Aiken story in the same volume mentions the ancient British King Cunobel, aka Cymbeline.