His Last Bow. Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1917 - John Murray, London - First Edition
First edition of this collection of eight Sherlock Holmes short stories.
Includes the titular ‘His Last Bow’ and a brief preface that reveals the fate of Sherlock after his tumble from the Reichenbach falls while combating his arch-nemesis Moriarty... The title story ‘His Last Bow’ appeared in 'The Strand' magazine in September 1917 with the subtitle 'Some War Experiences of Sherlock Holmes'; the covers bearing the tag-line 'Sherlock Holmes Outwits a German Spy'. Unlike most Holmes adventures the narration is in the third person rather than recounted by Dr. John Watson and the episode focusses on espionage and intrigue rather than mystery and detection. Due to its portrayal of British and German spies and its patriotic themes, the story is widely believed to have been conceived as a morale booster for the troops.
References: Green & Gibson, Bibliography of A Conan Doyle, A40a.
Octavo (binding size 18.9x12.8cm), pp. [2] vii [1] 305 [1] [6 publisher’s ads] [2]. Elegantly bound in three-quarter burgundy morocco over matching cloth boards, spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, top edge gilt, others trimmed. Condition: Fine in fine binding. Ref: 112170 Price: HK$ 6,000
Includes the titular ‘His Last Bow’ and a brief preface that reveals the fate of Sherlock after his tumble from the Reichenbach falls while combating his arch-nemesis Moriarty... The title story ‘His Last Bow’ appeared in 'The Strand' magazine in September 1917 with the subtitle 'Some War Experiences of Sherlock Holmes'; the covers bearing the tag-line 'Sherlock Holmes Outwits a German Spy'. Unlike most Holmes adventures the narration is in the third person rather than recounted by Dr. John Watson and the episode focusses on espionage and intrigue rather than mystery and detection. Due to its portrayal of British and German spies and its patriotic themes, the story is widely believed to have been conceived as a morale booster for the troops.
References: Green & Gibson, Bibliography of A Conan Doyle, A40a.
Octavo (binding size 18.9x12.8cm), pp. [2] vii [1] 305 [1] [6 publisher’s ads] [2]. Elegantly bound in three-quarter burgundy morocco over matching cloth boards, spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, top edge gilt, others trimmed. Condition: Fine in fine binding. Ref: 112170 Price: HK$ 6,000