Adult Non-fiction Books
Francis Bacon’s Hidden Hand in Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’: A Study of Law, Rhetoric, and Authorship (FBHH). New York: Algora Publishing, 2018.
- Published for the first time in FBHH (in appendix 4) is leading British forensic expert, the late Maureen Ward Gandy,’s 1992 report, “Elizabethan Era Writing Comparison for Identification of ‘Common Authorship'” (FBHH, pp. 249-274, 249). After analyzing other Elizabethan handwriting exemplars, Ward-Gandy concluded there was a “high probability” that a play fragment “analogous” to the “Gad’s Hill” scene in Shakespeare’s play, The First Part of Henry the Fourth–which was found in binder’s waste in a 1586 copy of Homer’s Odyssey in 1588–was written in Francis Bacon’s own handwriting.
- For the preface and ch 1 of FBHH, see SirBacon.org, May 1, 2021, http://sirbacon.org/francis-bacons-hidden-hand.html.
- “Elizabethan Era Writing Comparison …,” 10/11/22, https://sirbacon.org/elizabeth-era-writing-comparison-for-identification-of-common-authorship/
- See my blogpost, this website, “Shakespeare Play Fragment Found–Said to be in Francis Bacon’s Own Handwriting,” 7/25/20
- Was Portia really an untrained imposter who took unfair advantage of poor Shylock? Or, might she have represented someone else? If so, who would have done that, and why?
Book Foreword
Foreword to (barrister) N. B. Cockburn, The Bacon Shakespeare Question: The Baconian Theory Made Sane ([1998] Reprinted by The Francis Bacon Society, 2024.
Fiction for Young Readers
The Voice of the Wooden Dragon, illustrated by Lane Waldman (Buffalo: NFB Publishing, 2024).
- In the land of Deweydaire–which happens to be ruled by dragons–well-meaning dragon princess Meredith and her friends, the intrepid boy Peter and underrated court-jester dragon Felix, struggle to defeat the power of dragon bully Prince Rupert and a terrible magic spell.
- An entertaining, yet thought-provoking, middle-grate/young adult fantasy novel. For ages 10 and up.
- A hopeful story that gently illustrates themes important in the founding of the United States and the American Civil War: that the freedom of self and others is worth fighting for, even at great cost.
Short story, “Lewis the Giraffe,” with stunning original cover art by Lane Waldman, East of the Web. How does a homesick giraffe make himself heard and fulfill his dreams? https://www.eastoftheweb.com/node/7339
Short story, “The King of Maragor,” an original retelling of a Jataka tale, Skipping Stones: A Multicultural Literary Magazine. Sept. 5, 2023. https://www.skippingstones.org/wp/. The Agni Yoga Society liked it.
Short story, “Something to Look Forward To,” Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things. October 27, 2021, https://read.emberjournal.org/. When one suffers loss, it is good to have someone who shows they care by telling you a story.
Short story, “Slippers for Molly,” with “Pink Bunny Slippers,” a song written and performed by Eliza Waldman.'” Revised 9/23/24. Molly knows what she wants for her birthday, but will she get it? This was a collaborative “pandemic project” between my daughter, professional musician Eliza Waldman, and myself, based on a song she wrote as a child. At this website, Children’s Corner.
Profile, “Iris Foils Them All” (profile of Iris Zimmerman, of Rochester, New York who, at age 14, became the first United States fencer ever to win a world championship). Guideposts for Kids, Sept./Oct., 1996. Iris and Felicia Zimmerman, both Olympian fencers, now run a fencing club in Rochester, New York. Learn from the greats! https://www.rocfencing.com/
Essays/Articles
–for SirBacon.org
“Challenging the Lie in a Free Society: Even in Shakespeare Authorship Studies?” SirBacon.org, Nov. 14, 2023. PDF.
“What Francis Bacon Means to Me.” SirBacon.org, Oct. 14, 2022, https://sirbacon.org/christina-waldman/ (for SirBacon.org’s 25th anniversary).
“The Oxfraudian ‘Prima Facie Case for Shakespeare’–Hoist With Its Own Petard?” SirBacon.org, Oct. 13, 2022, https://sirbacon.org/christina-waldman/. First published at https://christinagwaldman.com/blog/ (slightly revised, Oct. 20, 2022).
“Reports of the Death of the Case for Francis Bacon’s Authorship of Shakespeare Have Been Greatly Exaggerated.” SirBacon.org, posted August 3, 2022. https://sirbacon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Reports-Greatly-Exaggerated-Pt-1-7-13-22-corrected-8-8-22.pdf
“Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, and Tortured Secrets: Violence, Violins, and–One Day–Vindication?” SirBacon.org, May 21, 2021 (revised from May 2, 2021), http://sirbacon.org/waldman/Waldman Violence Violins Vindication final 5-21-21.pdf.
“If Bacon is Shakespeare, What Questions Does that Answer?” SirBacon.org, November 27, 2020 (revised from March 8, 2019). http://www.sirbacon.org/If%20Bacon%20is%20Shakespeare%20revised%20final%2011-27-2020%20fr%203-8-19.pdf.
“Bacon’s Maiden Speech to Parliament and His Royal Birth.” SirBacon.org. June 15, 2020. http://sirbacon.org/archives/Bacons%20Maiden%20Speech%20to%20Parliament%20&%20His%20Royal%20Birth%20June%2015%202020-1.pdf.
–for Baconiana
“Francis Bacon/Bellario: Incorporated by Reference.” Baconiana, the Journal of the Francis Bacon Society; online edition, vol. 1, no. 7 (July, 2019). The Francis Bacon Society, https://francisbaconsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Francis-Bacon-Bellario-Incorporated-by-Reference.pdf.
“Evaluating the Oxfraud Prima Facie Case for Shaxspere’s Authorship of Shakespeare,” Baconiana, the Journal of the Francis Bacon Society, established 1886, no 262; online edition, vol 2, no. 2, Nov. 8, 2025, available at https://francisbaconsociety.co.uk/baconiana-journals/ (first published June 1, 2025 at https://christinagwaldman.com/tag/oxfraud-prima-facie-case/, reprinted, “What’s New at SirBacon,org, June 3, 2025, https://sirbacon.org/evaluating-the-oxfraud-prima-facie-case-for-shaxperes-authorship-of-shakespeare/.
Book Reviews
—Modern Language Review
Waldman, Christina G., review of Innocent Gentillet, Simon Patericke, Ryan Murtha, Anti-Machiavel: A Discourse upon the Means of Well Governing, in Modern Language Review, 115.3 (2020), pp. 682–84, doi:10.5699/modelangrevi.115.3.0682. Project Muse, https://muse.jhu.edu/article/822706.
—SirBacon.org
“Review of Maria Jose Falcon y Tella, The Law in Cervantes and Shakespeare. Translated by Diedre B. Jerry of El Derecho en Cervantes y Shakespeare (Marcial Pons, 2021). Leiden: Brill Nijhoff, 2021.” First posted to SirBacon.org June 11, 2024, revised Nov. 4, 2024 (pdf). Reprinted in Baconiana, the Journal of the Francis Bacon Society, established 1886, no 262; online edition, vol 2, no 1, Nov. 8, 2024 (pdf), available here: https://francisbaconsociety.co.uk/baconiana-journals/.
“Why Did Elizabeth Winkler Not Interview Any Baconians?” SirBacon.org. July 9, 2023. First posted at my blog, ChristinaGWaldman.com, July 5, 2023, https://christinagwaldman.com/2023/07/05/why-did-elizabeth-winkler-not-interview-any-baconians/
“Review of N. B. Cockburn, The Bacon Shakespeare Question: The Baconian Theory Made Sane (1998): A Classic Worth Reprinting.” May 15, 2023. https://sirbacon.org/review-of-n-b-cockburn-the-bacon-shakespeare-question-the-baconian-theory-made-sane-1998-a-classic-worth-reprinting/
“A Dedicated Sleuth Finds Picture-Puzzles Long Buried.” Review of Bacon Shakespeare Conundrum: Direct Evidence of Francis Bacon’s Shakespeare Authorship” by Russell Storrs Hall (published posthumously by his daughter, 2012).” SirBacon.org, Sept. 29, 2021, http://sirbacon.org/waldman/Review Russell Storrs Hall by CGW 9-29-2021.pdf.
“Review of The Martyrdom of Francis Bacon by Alfred Dodd. London: Rider, 1946.” SirBacon.org, August 24, 2021, http://www.sirbacon.org/Review_The%20Martyrdom%20of%20Francis%20Bacon%20by%20Alfred%20Dodd_Christina%20G%20Waldman%208-24-21.pdf.
“Points of note. Comments on Francis Bacon’s Cryptic Rhymes and the Truth They Reveal, by Edward Bormann.” Translated by Harry Brett. London: Siegle, Hill, 1906. SirBacon.org. October 22, 2020. http://www.sirbacon.org/Edwin-Bormann-Francis-Bacons-Cryptic-Rymes-CGW-for-SirBacon10-22-2020.pdf.
“Brief Review. Basil Brown [Mrs. Isabel Kittson Brown], Law Sports at Gray’s Inn (1594) (1921 [1913]) ….” SirBacon.org, Sept. 29, 2020, https://sirbacon.org/christina-waldman/.. [Also may be of interest: Basil Brown, Supposed Caricature of the Droeshout Portrait of Shakespeare (1911), https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t1rf6ng94&view=1up&seq=5)].
“Review of Second-Seeing Shakespeare: “Stay Passenger, why goest thou by so fast? by Peter Dawkins.” Francis Bacon Research Trust, e-book, April 6, 2020. SirBacon.org, April 24, 2020. https://sirbacon.org/Review%20of%20Peter%20Dawkins%20Second-Seeing%20Shakespeare%20by%20CGW%204-24-20.pdf.
—Amazon
Review of Bryan Wildenthal, Early Shakespeare Authorship Doubts (San Diego: Zindabad Press, 2019). Amazon, June 2025 (revised Oct. 2025).
“A Lawyer Had More to Say on Shakespeare and the Law.” Review of Daniel J. Kornstein, Something Else: More Shakespeare and the Law (Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2012). Amazon, June 24, 2024.
“A Sweet, Sensitively-Told Story.” Review of Andrea Cox Christen, Willomere (Bozeman, MT: Chicken Scratch Books, 2023). Amazon. Sept. 5, 2023. A “new traditional” children’s middle-grade fantasy novel.
“A Book for Leaders, by a Leader.” Review of Shawn J. Ginwright, The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2022). Amazon. August 31, 2023.
“Short Shrift of the Case for Bacon?” Review of Elizabeth Winkler, Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies: How Doubting the Bard Became the Biggest Taboo in Literature. Amazon. July 9, 2023; revised Sept. 5, 2023. (separate review at Goodreads, July 17, 2023).
“An Author’s Literary Quest.” Review of Simon M. Miles, The Map and the Manuscript: Journeys in the Mysteries of the Two Rennes. Mossley: Greater Manchester, UK: Ignotum Press, 2022. Amazon.co.uk, Nov. 2, 2022, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Map-Manuscript-Simon-M-Miles-ebook/dp/B0B6D4TTW1.
“A Bittersweet Tale Well-Told.” Review of Bittersweet: The Story of the Heath Candy Company, by Richard J. Heath (with Ray Elliott). Urbana, IL: Tales Press, 2003. Amazon. October 7, 2021, https://www.amazon.com/BittersweetThe-Story-Heath-Candy-Co/dp/0964142317.
“Who Really Wrote Anti-Machiavel?” Review of Innocent Gentillet [attributed], Anti-Machiavel: A Discourse Upon the Means of Well Governing [London, 1602; first pub. Geneva, 1576]. Edited by Ryan Murtha, translated by Simon Paterick. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2018. Amazon. Sept. 26, 2021 (revised from Oct. 28, 2019), https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Machiavel-Innocent-Gentillet/dp/1532659733).
“Alvin Decker’s Stories Bring Illinois Depression-Era Farm History Back to Life.” Review of Born in the Illinois Cornfields by Alvin Decker. Urbana, IL: Tales Press, 2000. Amazon. June 22, 2021, https://www.amazon.com/Born-Illinois-Cornfields-Alvin-Decker/dp/0964142333.
“An Overlooked Gem on Bacon-Shakespeare Authorship,” Review of The Shakespeare Conspiracies: A 400-Year Web of Myth and Deceit, 2d ed., by Brian McClinton. Belfast: Shanway Press, 2008. Amazon. January 5, 2021, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0954390679/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=).
“What Did Francis Bacon Say?” Review of Shakespeare’s Legal Ecologies: Law and Distributed Selfhood (Rethinking the Early Modern), by Kevin Curran. Evanston: Northwestern University, 2017. Amazon. November 13, 2020, https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Legal-Ecologies-Distributed-Rethinking/dp/0810135167.
“What Does the Evidence Show?” Review of Francis Bacon’s Contribution to Shakespeare: A New Attribution Method, by Barry R. Clarke. New York: Routledge, 2019. Amazon. October 29, 2019. https://www.amazon.com/Francis-Bacons-Contribution-Shakespeare-Attribution/dp/0367137828.
“Revisiting a Solid Work of Scholarship From the Past.” Review of Mark Edwin Andrews, Law versus Equity in The Merchant of Venice: A Legalization of Act IV, Scene 1. Boulder: University of Colorado Press, 1965. Amazon. Jan. 24, 2019, https://www.amazon.com/Law-versus-equity-merchant-Venice/product-reviews/B0007DFE7O.
–Goodreads
Review of Catherine Drinker Bowen, Francis Bacon: The Temper of a Man (New York: Little, Brown, 1963). https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/795591.Francis_Bacon
Poetry
Poem, “Bard of the Yard,” Nature of Our Times, PoetsforScience.org, Dec. 24, 2024 (First published in Westward Quarterly: The Magazine of Family Reading, Summer, 2021, p. 10).
Poem, “Hand Me Downs.” Illustrations by Shannon Comins. First published in Hopscotch for Girls, June/July, 1999. Reprinted with permissions, “Children’s Corner,” this website. June 7, 2019, https://christinagwaldman.com/childrens-corner/.
Bibliographies–in Progress
These bibliographies were getting too long to be website pages, and so I have made them into pdfs, as they were works in progress, to which I have not added anything new since making them into pdfs–for which I apologize. Perhaps you will find them useful. May I recommend to you the University of Rochester’s Rush Rhees Library catalog entry on “Francis Bacon” for a comprehensive list. Also, the bibliographies at SirBacon.org strive to be comprehensive as regards Bacon and Shakespeare authorship.
Click to access Biblio-Bacon-Shakespeare-Context-3-in-progress-by-Christina-G-Waldman-12-7-24.pdf
Comments on Quora
Response, May 11, 2023, to Brian Overland, “What are some reasons why The Merchant of Venice is considered one of Shakespeare’s best plays?” Quora. Nov. 27, 2022.
Responses to: “Is Francis Bacon William Shakespeare?” (updated June 18, 2024) and “What is your opinion of Elizabeth Winkler’s theory that Shakespeare was a woman?” (updated June 19, 2024).
Last updated 4/28/26.