Alfred Dodd has written perhaps the finest book on Francis Bacon while solving the mystery of Shakespeare's identity with rare combination of historical truth and placing it inside the narrative of a story. Dodd's penetrating insights and research leave most other Bacon biographers way behind. Partly due to the fact that Dodd himself was a Master Free- Mason the general public will have a unique glimpse and understanding of the ways of Freemasonry and it's influence throughout Bacon's life and how it saturates the Shakespeare Sonnets and Plays. The novice student to the more advanced researcher will profit greatly in absorbing the facts surrounding Bacon's mysterious birth , his relation to Queen Elizabeth, his passion and guidance to advance England thru education, sparking the English Renaissance and formulating a greater vocabulary for the English language, encouraging the New World settlements, overcoming numerous enemies like his cousin Cecil, and Coke the crooked lawyer, it's all revealed in this wonderful book. By the time one finishes reading it you will have not only a greater awareness of one of the world's greatest genuises and his selfless service to humanity and it's future but a deeper wisdom into the Shakespeare authorship issue. . Alfred Dodd has left us a great treasure chest for all to partake in.

John Russell wrote this "biography" while Francis Bacon was very much alive and tends to emphasize the influences on Bacon's work more from an environmental standpoint than an art historian view. But to jump into Bacon's raucous life "in medias res" is a gift that now can be savoured, like picking the grapes off the vines that in years to come will become a fine vintage wine. A diversion, and only in black and white reproductions, but a rather important comment in retrospect.

Like many biographies, Russell's work concentrates more on the man's times than on the man himself. While we learn a lot about what was going on around Bacon, what he himself experienced is left unexplored. Granted, Bacon made gathering biographical information very difficult, but I would have appreciated more insightful analysis of Bacon's life and its connections to his work. Overall it is a very good introduction to Bacon's career and total output, and includes a huge number of pictures that make the book extremely valuable as a reference. Unfortunately though, while there are many color reproductions, they are outnumbered by black and white ones that take away from truly experiencing the power of Bacon's work.

Well i really think that Francis Bacon is a great artist. I just stratid reading about his art work and he has so many goos drawings like Henrretta Moraes, and his selft portrait. They are veri nice drawings.So i really think his greatt.