ESTERDAY, I outlined the first half of my Sherlockian Top Ten. Now, I’m sure that most of those were certainly no surprise to anyone who’s begun to dive into the depths of Sherlockian studies, but I’m hoping that this list (and my comments) might help guide the occasional poor soul who’s just now beginning to migrate from Sherlock-on-TV, and perhaps looking to part with his or her hard-earned shillings in a meaningful manner.

Herewith, the final five.

6. Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street, a “biography” by W. S. Baring-Gould. Although many people have attempted biographies of Holmes (and/or Watson), Baring-Gould’s is considered by most to be the classic. Although rife with speculation and educated guesswork, many of the ideas and events put forth in this out-of-print book seem to have become absorbed by scholars and writers to the point where it sometimes becomes difficult to remember what was in the Canon, and what wasn’t. This edges out June Thomson’s Holmes and Watson for my list, which is still an absorbing read, and foregoes speculation to concentrate mainly upon the facts as laid out in the Canon.
7. Sherlock Holmes in America, by Bill Blackbeard. A fairly difficult volume to find, this book is bursting with lush illustrations, advertising, articles, cartoons and more, and is a pride among my Sherlockian “coffee-table” books. Similar books, and almost as prized, include Peter Haining’s Sherlock Holmes Scrapbook, Life & Times of Sherlock Holmes by Peter Weller with Christopher Roden, and the beautiful and over-sized Pictorial History of Sherlock Holmes by Michael Pointer. I’ve seen the latter three many times in bookstore “sidewalk sales”, so I suspect there’s a lot of them about.
8. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, by Vincent Starrett. It seems that reading this book has become the Sherlockian equivalent of puberty, heralding a crossing-over from neophyte fan to serious scholar. Published in 1933, this collection of essays was one of the first major books of Sherlockian scholarship, and remains one of the most critically acclaimed. Highly sought-after by most beginning collectors, it was re-issued a few years ago in paperback form.
9. The Baker Street Journal CD-ROM. Although I’d much rather the dead-tree versions of this long-lasting Sherlockian journal, my ailing bank account prohibits this. Still, $100 for all the journals from 1946 to 2000 is a very nice deal, especially when it’s possible to easily search and cross-reference most of the issues. (I’m in the midst of writing a review of this product for a later post, so check back if you’re interested.) There is also a CD-ROM version of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, but alas, I haven’t yet been able to afford one of these. O! the life of a poor scholar….
10. My weekly obsession. Okay, so I’m cheating a little here, but it’s because every week or so I become so completely engrossed in a book that it becomes indispensible. My livre du jour is The Science of Sherlock Holmes, by E. J. Wagner, a fascinating look at forensic science at the time of Holmes, illuminated throughout with examples from both the Canon and real-life crimes. Before that, it was The Real World of Sherlock Holmes: The True Crimes Investigated by Arthur Conan Doyle by Peter Costello, and before that, there were several books by Harrison and Hardwick. I confess I have no idea what the next one will be, but the wide array of Sherlockian books adorning the shelves is what makes this subject so interesting. Hmmm… perhaps it’s time for a pastiche, or something a little outré, like Rosenberg’s Naked Is the Best Disguise (note: not this one).

Given my abbreviated list here, and my relatively small and very select library (about 300 or so Sherlockian books, plus another fifty or so Conan Doyle), there are by necessity many worthy books which I could not mention above. A good source to start searching for more –and created by someone infinitely more informed than your humble scribe– is the aforementioned Shaw 100.

As you’ve no doubt noticed, many of these books are out of print, but most can be found in eBay, AbeBooks, or Amazon.com searches. I’ve linked to Amazon above, since –if it doesn’t currently carry the title– the page will link to zShops where you can often find copies fairly cheap. eBay is very hit-or-miss, and since books are often listed with typos and without ISBN, finding the books can be difficult; however, books may be wildly underpriced (or overpriced), so it’s entirely possible to get a great deal. AbeBooks is an excellent resource, and the odds are good that you’ll find a copy of the book in question, but it’s not easy to find a bargain: these booksellers usually know exactly what they’re selling, and expect certain asking prices. (Not to mention the often exorbitant shipping and handling fees.)

But of course, nothing beats the pleasure of drifting through the shelves of your local used bookshop, inhaling the dust of cloth covers and the must of ancient tomes, but I hope your finds are more fortuitous than my own: I’ve only ever found two of the above books in my region’s stores. I do come across the occasional interesting pastiche, though –especially ones by Laurie R. King– so it’s a worthwhile outing regardless.

Does anyone have any other recommendations they’d like to add for the eager and wide-eyed young Sherlockians?