Step back to London, 1895.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories are full of references to everyday activities and events from Victorian times that make the twenty-first century reader run to the reference shelf. Few, for example, are intimately acquainted with the responsibilities of a country squire, the importance of gentlemen’s clubs, or the intricacies of the Victorian monetary system.
These twenty-four short essays explore various aspects of life mentioned in the original tales of Sherlock Holmes, providing modern-day insight into the nineteenth century world. Originally shared through various Sherlockian newsletters around the world, they are gathered here for the first time. Essays cover:
- The Life of a Country Squire
- The Holmes’ Family Connection to the Vernets of France
- The Fate of Second Sons
- The Victorian Medical Practice
- Victorian Transportion
- The Origins of Scotland Yard
- The River Thames
- Apiculture in the 1800s
- Westminster Palace
- Sherlock’s Christmas Spirit
- Practicing Law in Victorian England
- The Second Anglo-Afghan War
- Gentleman’s Clubs
- Tobacco
- 221B Baker Street
- Abductive Reasoning
- Dog Breeding
- Poisons
- Fingerprints
- Phrenology
- Communications
- The Monetary System
- The British Museum
- Chloroform
These examinations bring deeper meaning and color to the adventures of the world’s most famous consulting detective.
The president of The Crew of the Barque Lone Star, a Sherlockian Scion Society, notes this collection ‘brings life to a society which we have only dreamed of.’
Whether a fan of Sherlock Holmes or a history enthusiast, this book offers interesting tidbits to all.
Table of Content
1 – The Life of a Country Squire; 2 – Sherlock’s French Connection; 3 – Inheritance and the Fate of Second Sons; 4 – John Watson, The Victorian Doctor; 5 – Getting Around in Victorian England; 6 – The Origins of Scotland Yard; 7 – The River Thames; 8 – Victorian Apiculture; 9 – A Brief History of Westminster Palace; 10 – Sherlock’s Christmas Spirit; 11 – Practicing Law in Victorian England; 12 – The Second Anglo-Afghan War, 13 – Clubbing, Victorian Style; 14 – Forty-Nine References to Tobacco; 15 – A World-Famous Address; 16 – The Abductive Reasoning of Sherlock Holmes; 17 – Going to the Dogs; 18 – Name Your Poison; 19 – If It’s a Print, It Must be True; 20 – Your Frontal Development is Showing; 21 – Spreading the Word; 22-London on Eleven Shillings a Day; 23 – When a Museum is More than a Museum; 24 – A True Knock-Out
About the author
Award winning author, Liese Sherwood-Fabre, grew up in Dallas, Texas and knew she was destined to write when she received an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her Ph D from Indiana University, she joined the federal government and had the opportunity to work and live internationally for more than fifteen years-in Africa, Latin America, and Russia. After returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career and has had numerous pieces appear in both print and electronically. She is currently a member of The Crew of the Barque Lone Star, the Napoleons of Crime, and the Studious Scarlets Society scions and contributes regularly to Sherlockian newsletters across the world.