A new book claims to have discovered compelling evidence to prove Shakespeare was not the real author of his work.

Former university lecturer Brenda James, of Bognor, claims little-known English politician and aristocrat Sir Henry Neville wrote the bard's celebrated works.

Published by Longman on October 25, The Truth Will Out looks set to drive a deep division through the world of Shakespearean scholarship.

For centuries scholars have asked how a grammar school boy whose education was cut short at 12, and who never travelled abroad, could have gathered the breadth of learning his work displays.

The new book, co-authored by Professor William Rubinstein, claims to have the answer.

Previous theories claiming Francis Bacon or even Christopher Marlowe was the author of Shakespeare's work have been relatively easy to write off.

The new book reduces Shakespeare to little more than an avaricious money lender whose heroic qualities are the result of having greatness thrust upon him.

Ms James made what she regards as the breakthrough while living in Pontypridd, south Wales.

She deciphered the identity of the mysterious W H, to whom Shakespeare's sonnets are dedicated, and said it led her to Henry Neville.

As a wealthy and distant relative of Shakespeare's he was also his contemporary, born two years before the bard in 1562 and dying one year earlier in 1615.

As an ambitious politician and courtier, he was a well-educated linguist who travelled throughout Europe.

But while he had wealth, learning and opportunity, as a descendant of the rival Plantagenet dynasty, the politician could not be seen to be an author.

As a result, the book claims he must have asked relative William Shakespeare to act as his frontman.

Ms James said: "There is far more evidence to suggest that Sir Henry Neville wrote the works than there is of Shakespeare himself.

"Some of the plays were obvious propaganda from a politician and it was better not to be seen as the author."

She said there is an exact correlation between the subject of the plays and where Neville travelled.

His European travels - he was once the English ambassador to France - and events in his life also shed new light on the plays' development.

He visited Vienna, where Measure for Measure is set, and northern Italy, where Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice, are set.

Some of the later plays were so controversial Neville would have been arrested.

He was eventually thrown into the Tower of London after being implicated in a failed rebellion, and was in danger of being beheaded.

This, the authors claim, is the catalyst for the dramatic and unexplained switch in emphasis in Shakespeare's work from comedy and politics to tragedy.

Prof Rubinstein said: "I have always said that there is nothing absurd in saying that Shakespeare did not write his plays.

"But the evidence gathered in this book is very compelling. It stacks up all the way along the line."