Thomas Dekker: Edited, with an Introduction and Notes by Ernest Rhys. Unexpurgated Edition

Step into the rowdy, radiant world of Elizabethan London through the eyes of its greatest comic dramatist. Thomas Dekker wrote with his ears open to the street, capturing the cries of Cheapside, the laughter of taverns, and the ambitions of tradesmen who dared to dream beyond their stations. This collection gathers his most vital works: The Shoemaker's Holiday, where a humble cordwainer ascends to become Lord Mayor of London through sheer wit and civic pride; The Honest Whore, which tackles prostitution and redemption with surprising tenderness; and The Witch of Edmonton, a chilling collaboration that proves Dekker could plumb darkness as easily as he conjured light. Throughout runs his signature blend of humor, humanity, and poetic flair, all steeped in the daily life of a city buzzing with possibility. Dekker wrote alongside Webster and Middleton, but his voice remains distinctly his own: generous, democratic, and endlessly entertaining. Four centuries later, these plays still crackle with the energy of a world where a shoemaker can become a knight and a brothel keeper can find God. For anyone who believes literature should be alive, kicking, and ridiculously fun.