It's the spring of 1585, and William Shakespeare is bored. Filled with incoherent dreams, a wife and three children anchor him to the tedious realities of life in Stratford-on-Avon. Then one drunken night changes all that and he finds himself in London, exiled from his family and depending on the goodwill of a friend of his father's. A chance encounter and a new friendship launch him at last on his career, but trouble pursues him and his only opportunity to free himself lies in undertaking yet another journey - this time to Italy. Scholars have often mused about the possibility that the great bard might have travelled, with Italy as the prime suspect. After all, almost a third of his plays are set in that country, and many of them paint a tantalisingly accurate picture of Italian life and customs. But how and why would he have gone there? And what adventures might he have had that later found their way into his plays? Lovers of Shakespeare and aficionados of 16th century historical fiction alike will be fascinated by this tale of intrigue, passion, life and death.