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Printed in 1623, the Shakespeare First Folio is one of the most revered books in the English language and worth millions. Some news reports have it valued at GBP15 million, others as little as GBP3 million. With only handfuls left in existence, one is owned by billionaire John Paul Getty and another was in the hands of Raymond Scott who lived with his mum in their modest Tyneside home until his arrest. When he tried to sell it to fund and start a new life with his young Cuban dancer fiancee it sparked an international investigation involving the FBI, Interpol and the British police. There are two Raymond Scotts - one who lives quietly at home with his mother, the other who people think is some Raffles-type international thief,A" says Raymond. Even by British standards, Mr Scott would give our most cherished eccentrics a run for their money. He was arrested in 2008 in connection with the missing folio which was among several rare items stolen from Durham University library in a raid ten years ago. Following the robbery, the work was believed to have been sold on the underground book market, never to be seen again ...until Raymond took his own copy - given to him, he insists - by a friend in Cuba (a former bodyguard to Fidel Castro, no less) into the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC to be authenticated.This is a truly unique story, telling the bizarre tale that takes us from the UK to Cuba, Washington DC and back to the UK, culminating with the outcome of Raymond's ongoing trial, it may even end with him in Cuba reunited with his fiancee ...If John Malkovich was in a movie about how to (badly) steal a book worth millions, never say you didn't take it, court as much publicity as possible, live outside your means and leave everyone guessing until the last second - and if the Coen Brothers directed it - Shakespeare and Love would be that crime caper.

Additional Information

• Illustrations: 8 pages colour