The Best of Sherlock Holmes

by Randall Stock

Holmes by Frederic Dorr Steele

This website is devoted to covering noteworthy items related to Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It includes lists of "the best" Holmes stories and quotations. It also includes information on Conan Doyle manuscripts, Beeton's Christmas Annual, Sherlockian and Doylean computer products, and more.

NEWS

The Hound of the Baskervilles Manuscript

It's the most famous Sherlock Holmes story - but only a few original manuscript leaves are still known to exist. Find the details with this new census of the Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript leaves.

Even More About Manuscripts

Those who can't afford the hundreds of thousands of dollars for an original Holmes manuscript can still own an excellent copy in this newly-published manuscript facsimile of "The Three Students". And there's more news about auctions of Conan Doyle material, including the sale of the manuscripts for "The Sussex Vampire" and "The Solitary Cyclist" in the Manuscripts section. That section also has a checklist to more than 40 of ACD's other manuscripts, more information about Conan Doyle manuscript material and facsimiles, and links to five online photos of Holmes manuscripts.

The Best Sherlock Holmes Books and DVDs

There are hundreds of Sherlock Holmes books and many movies. What should you get if you are a new fan of Holmes? I've listed the 10 Best Sherlock Holmes books and DVDs for new fans, and also noted the top books and DVDs from 2009 for long-time Sherlockians.

Basil Rathbone versus Robert Downey, Jr.?

With the new major movie of Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey, Jr., it's only natural to wonder how it compares to the Basil Rathbone films. The Rathbone pictures are all on DVD – and new Double Feature releases offer excellent quality at great prices. See this list of the Best Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies and recommended DVD versions.

Happy 150th Birthday Sir Arthur!

Conan Doyle was born 150 years ago on May 22, 1859. Harvard marked his sesquicentennial with a Symposium and Exhibition, and there are many other events, news reports, and radio programs for Conan Doyle's 150th birthday.

The World's Most Expensive Magazine

What's the most desirable Sherlockian publication? Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 carried the very first Sherlock Holmes story and is the most expensive magazine in the world. A copy donated to Oxfam sold for more than $36,000 in 2008 and another copy sold for $156,000! Learn more about this rare magazine in the annotated Beeton's checklist and census.

Sidney Paget Original Artwork

Sidney Paget established the iconic picture of Sherlock Holmes with his illustrations for The Strand Magazine. Only a few of his original drawings are still known to exist, and they are described in this census of Sidney Paget Original Drawings and Artwork.

The Familiar Quotations of Sherlock Holmes
It's elementary that there are many excellent quotations in the Holmes stories. In fact, entire books of these popular passages have been published. But which of these are the most famous? Find out in The Ten Most Famous Quotations from the Sherlock Holmes Stories.

Best Holmes Stories
It's official! Sherlockian scholars have selected the best stories in the largest and most comprehensive appraisal ever made of the Sherlock Holmes tales. Poll results were published in the Baker Street Journal. Now you can read about that poll, plus many other polls over the years, at this site's section on The Best Sherlock Holmes Stories.

For Your Attention
Learn about some important books and other sections of this website from my Other Points of Interest.

Collect books? Check out my Sherlockian and Other Books for Sale

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