This book is the groundbreaking work in which Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, is identified as being the author commonly known as "Shakespeare". This theory, which initially faced fierce opposition, has since established a solid place in the landscape of Shakespearean studies. It now constitutes an essential reference in this area.

John Thomas Looney, South Shields 1870 - Swadlincote 1944.
Born into a Methodist family in the north of England, Thomas Looney was first drawn to an ecclesiastical career and sought to found a Church according to the teachings of Auguste Comte. After a founding failure, he refocused on his profession as a school teacher, and devoted his life to Shakespearean studies. His solidly argued theory on the true identity of the so-called "Shakespeare" still gives him today a deserved recognition.