On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes

by Browning, Stephen

There can be no question, Mr Dear Watson, of the value of exercise before breakfast'

Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of Black Peter

You may have been introduced to the magic of the greatest of English detectives by reading the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or perhaps watching some of the hundreds of films or TV shows that feature the extraordinary adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John H. Watson - now, this unique book offers a detailed itinerary for actually walking' Sherlock Holmes. Beginning, of course, at Baker Street a series of walks takes in the well-known, as well as some of the more obscure, locations of London as travelled by Holmes and Watson and a gallery of unforgettable characters in the stories. Details of each location and the story in which it features are given along with other items of interest - associated literary and historical information, social history, and events in Conan Doyle's life. A chapter then explores Holmes' adventures in the rest of the UK. 55 black and white original photographs accompany the text.

This book is designed to appeal to anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the stories by travelling, even if just in imagination from an armchair, exactly the same London streets as Sherlock Holmes, and perhaps also by exploring some iconic Holmesian locations farther afield. Come, Watson, come!' Holmes says in The Adventure of the Abbey Grange. The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!'

• ISBN13: 9781526779014
• Publish Date: 18 February 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
• Imprint: Pen & Sword History
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes is an interesting and well written exploration of the actual physical locations included in the Holmes canon presented by Stephen Browning. Due out 31st March 2022 from Pen & Sword, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

A short introductory section covers the background history of Conan Doyle's life and family background, touching on his devotion to his mother throughout her life as well as the difficulties of boarding school and his father's substance abuse issues and decline, alongside his own medical studies and qualifications.

The rest of the book encompasses 8 walking tours of areas immortalised in the stories. The walks vary in length from ca. 3 - 6 km as written. All of the tours include customisable side trips which can increase the length to readers' wishes/time constraints. All of the tours include greyscale maps with arrow directions and good descriptions of sites and points of interest along the route. The author has included comprehensive descriptions and tie-ins to the stories. Whilst most are localised to London and environs, there are descriptions of walking tours elsewhere in the UK as well.

The book also includes appendices with timelines for the canonical stories, a short alphabetical list of actors who have portrayed the Great Detective in film and other media, and an interesting glossary/bullet point list of concepts about Holmes himself.

The writing throughout is accessible and enjoyable to read. Although it's not written as an academic treatise, the book is satisfyingly and precisely annotated and the chapter notes and bibliography will provide readers with hours of additional resources.

Four and a half stars. This is a worthwhile and interesting read. I'm a self-admitted Sherlockian and there was quite a lot of minutiae of which I was previously unaware (Nicol Williamson played Holmes alongside a jaw-droppingly star studded cast? I never knew!).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.