Description
Book SynopsisQuesting was Sherlock Holmes’s business. He famously adopted the
latest forensic techniques, channelled the
Victorian passion for enquiry, kept abreast of the
key scientific breakthroughs of his age, and conducted his investigations in an enigmatic and stylised manner. And the brains behind it all was, of course, the great
Arthur Conan Doyle.
In this deep dive into the contemporary world of Holmes and Conan Doyle, biographer Andrew Lycett
explores all that encompasses the world of the great detective – tracing the infamous character’s own interests, personality and
mythologised biography alongside that of his creator’s.
From the Victorian crazes for detection and séance, to contemporary developments in science and psychology, Lycett weaves together everything that inspired Conan Doyle in
creating the world’s most famous detective and one of ficti
Trade Review"I’ve seen lots of books about everyone’s favorite consulting detective ...none more elegant or beautifully produced. A profusion of illustrations, as well as text by Lycett, one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s best biographers, will brighten Christmas morning for any would-be Baker Street Irregular." -- Michael Dirda * The Washington Post *
We can't say enough good things about it. It is a piece of art. It is lovely to hold, lovely to flip through. It is so well-written. The flow as Andrew takes us through the evolution of Sherlock Holmes in the world and what the world contributed to Sherlock Holmes... This is one of those books that every Sherlockian needs to own. -- Scott Monty, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere podcast * Scott Monty, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere podcast *
"Lycett provides an impressive and colorfully-illustrated discussion of how Holmes was created, and why he continues to fascinate each new generation of readers." -- Peter Blau * Scuttlebuts *
“This companion embarks on a lively tour of the politics, cultural and social circumstances of Holmes’s era [and] takes us inside Holmes’s mind, a mix of imagination to read a criminal’s intentions with a scientific approach to solving riddles…We discover what lies behind that famous image, the man who created him and the world into which both were born and shaped by.”
-- Dan Carrier * Camden New Journal *
Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION
A SHERLOCKIAN SENSE OF PLACE
BRITAIN AND THE WIDER WORLD
THE ADVANCE OF SCIENCE
WATCHING THE DETECTIVES
SCREEN AND STAGE REPRESENTATIONS
GETTING INTO PRINT
ART IN THE BLOOD
A FEW ATHLETIC TASTES
STAYING THE COURSE
POSTSCRIPT
CHRONOLOGY OF CONAN DOYLE AND WORLD EVENTS
CHRONOLOGY OF HOLMES AND WATSON
FURTHER READING
INDEX
PICTURE CREDITS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
