The subtitle misleads -- this book is less about the cultural influence of Shakespeare and more a book about the first folios and what became of them with a little thrown in of how they influence reception of Shakespeare. As a book about bibliophilia and Shakespeareana, though, it delights. Collins's prose is a delight and he uses his skills to frame and unveil various nuggets of miscellany both important and simply interesting. That the narrative ranges from the alleys of 17th and 18th century London to the modern-day temperature controlled vaults of libraries Washington D.C. and Tokyo illustrates how much what Shakespeare has become has to do with that first folio (even as it got off to rather a rocky start).

There is one aspect of The Book of William that could bug some readers: as a way of building tension and practicing the art of the reveal, Collins introduces people and information and then slides away from them and then brings them back in. I found it somewhat annoying, but less of a problem as the book progressed.