This is a not just a biographical sketch of Sherlock Holmes, but also a visual treat for the reader. There over 200 illustrations in the book, many in full colour. These come from the original sketches that accompanied the stories in the Strand magazine, from photographs and movie stills during the film/television series years, pictures of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia, souvenirs, places mentioned in the stories, and various images of Conan Doyle.
The authors look at several topics in turn - the world context of Sherlock Holmes (both London and other places), the actual stories of the canon, the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and various lists including groups and a brief (and necessarily incomplete) bibliography. The format, particularly for the discussion of the stories, is very good both for reading and for reference - this provides a short synopsis of each story, including major events, places and characters, as well as original publication information.
144 pages. Hard cover with dust jacket. NOT ex-library, inscription in ffep.