Author Description

Do you know Conan Doyle's original name for Sherlock Holmes? The real-life inspiration for Holmes? Who created the visual image most of us have of the great detective? Whom Jeremy Brett first played? (Clue: it wasn't Sherlock Holmes.) Sherlock Holmes is everywhere, like the air we breathe. His deerstalkered image peers from ads in the Yellow Pages, from the signs for neighborhood crime watch patrols, from billboards. He long ago transcended the boundaries of nineteenth-century London. Holmes is alive to millions throughout the world in books, on film, on television, and over the Internet. For the more casual reader of the timeless tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Sherlock Holmes is a psssst from the shadows, an index finger suspended in mid-air gesturing you to come, take a closer look. With nearly 200 illustrations, this Companion will let you in on the world of Holmes and the loyal, ever-dignified, Dr. Watson; the London of their day; the great players who have made the part of Sherlock Holmes the role (for better or worse) of a lifetime; and so much more. For the more serious devotee, this volume is a new verse of an old and cherished love song. It offers a postmodern analysis of Watson's complex relationship with the great detective and contends that Holmes, typically perceived as a humorless, self-denying ascetic, is actually quite the bon vivant. With many lesser-known facts, unexpected insights, and fresh observations, the Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Sherlock Holmes is perfect for reading or browsing, the book for all visitors to 221B Baker Street. - Back cover. Providing an overview of all aspects of the life and times of the world-famous detective, Riley and McAllister offer interesting and entertaining information about the fictional sleuth. Along with the trivia and information, the authors insert historical background on Victorian England, a short biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and brief synopses of the Holmes stories. Additional chapters cover explanations of rank in the British nobility, drugs used in the era, and the wars mentioned in the stories. Several chapters make forays into understanding the psychology of Holmes, his personality, and his pleasures. One entire chapter reviews the various clubs dedicated to him. A crossword puzzle, a Sherlock Holmes Mystery Map of London, and around 200 black-and-white illustrations, including some from the stories and some of Victorian London, add to the fun.