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

Holmes Manuscripts at Auction

At Christie's NY in December, a previously unrecorded Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript leaf goes to auction. The manuscript of Conan Doyle's farewell to Sherlock Holmes sold at auction in September 2012 in Philadelphia.

Even More About Manuscripts

Only 35 original manuscript leaves are still known to exist from the most famous Holmes story. See the revised census of the Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript with information and photos of many leaves. Or find the locations of all the original Holmes manuscripts. And there's more news about Conan Doyle material in the manuscripts section, including facsimiles of Holmes manuscripts, a checklist to more than 40 of ACD's other manuscripts, and links to online photos of Holmes manuscripts.

The Year's Best Sherlock Holmes Books and Movies/TV for 2012

There are hundreds of Sherlock Holmes books and many movies. What should you get if you are a new fan of Holmes? I've noted the
10 Best Sherlock Holmes books and DVDs for new fans, and also provide a list of the Top Holmes Books and DVDs / Blu-ray from 2012.

Publishing Rare Conan Doyle Material

The British Library and the University of Chicago Press have published "Dangerous Work" – Conan Doyle's Diary of an Arctic Adventure, including a manuscript facsimile, annotated transcription, and related material. Conan Doyle made many drawings for his journal, as shown in this large photo of Conan Doyle's 1880 Whaling Diary on the SS Hope.

125 Years of Sherlock Holmes: Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887

Sherlock Holmes first appeared in November 1887 in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887. One of the few complete copies will be on display as Portsmouth celebrates 125 years of Sherlock with a Beeton's 1887. Described as the most expensive magazine in the world, with a copy selling for $156,000 at auction, it is rarer than a Shakespeare First Folio. Learn more in the recently revised Beeton's 1887 checklist and census.

Revised Census of Sidney Paget Original Artwork

Sidney Paget established the iconic image of Sherlock Holmes with his illustrations for The Strand Magazine. Only a few of his original Holmes drawings still exist. The updated census has located almost all of those and added drawings from other stories. See the recently revised census of Sidney Paget Original Drawings and Artwork and the new separate page with photos of Paget paintings.

Laurie King on Writing Stories with Holmes

Laurie R. King is the New York Times best-selling author of a series of books involving Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Her latest book is Garment of Shadows. See my feature on Laurie King talks about writing, Russell, and Holmes.

Basil Rathbone versus Robert Downey, Jr.?

With a blockbuster 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 Double Feature releases offer excellent quality at great prices. See this list of the Best Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies and recommended DVD versions.

The Best Sherlock Holmes Pastiche Says Ellery Queen

Ellery Queen thought that Vincent Starrett wrote one of the best Sherlock Holmes stories ever. This story first appeared as a booklet in 1920 that's now a rare collectible. See the newly-revised Census of the First Edition of The Unique Hamlet by Vincent Starrett and read the full story.

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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