The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes - Paperback

by Zach Dundas (Author)

"Fascinating." -- Boston Globe

"Entertaining." -- Globe and Mail

"Impressive." -- Washington Post

"For all who enjoy the company of Sherlock Holmes, in any of his many forms, reading Dundas's book will be hours well spent." -- Los Angeles Review of Books

More than a century after Sherlock Holmes first capered into our world, Arthur Conan Doyle's peculiar creation continues to fascinate us, and in The Great Detective, journalist and lifelong Sherlock fan Zach Dundas sets out to learn why. Through sparkling new readings of the original stories, he unearths the inspirations behind Holmes and his indispensable companion, Dr. John Watson, and reveals how Conan Doyle's tales laid the groundwork for an infinitely remixable myth. This investigation leads Dundas on travels into the heart of the Holmesian universe, from a Fifth Avenue mansion and the boozy annual gathering of one of the world's most exclusive Sherlock fan societies; to a freezing Devon heath out of The Hound of the Baskervilles; to sunny Pasadena, where Dundas chats with the creators of the BBC's Sherlock and finagles a cameo appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch himself. Along the way, Dundas discovers and celebrates the ingredients that have made Holmes go viral -- then, now, and as long as the game's afoot.

"[A] sprightly, riveting exploration." -- Mental Floss

"Incisive, well informed, and slyly witty (like Holmes himself)." -- Shelf Awareness, starred review

Front Jacket

A wickedly smart and rollicking journey through the birth, life, and afterlives of popular culture s most beloved sleuth

Today he is the inspiration for fiction adaptations, blockbuster movies, hit television shows, raucous Twitter banter, and thriving subcultures. More than a century after Sherlock Holmes first capered into our world, what is it about Arthur Conan Doyle s peculiar creation that continues to fascinate us? Journalist and lifelong Sherlock fan Zach Dundas set out to find the answer.

The result is The Great Detective: a history of an idea, a biography of someone who never lived, a tour of the borderland between reality and fiction, and a joyful romp through the world Conan Doyle bequeathed us.

Through sparkling new readings of the original stories, Dundas unearths the inspirations behind Holmes and his indispensable companion, Dr. John Watson, and reveals how Conan Doyle s tales laid the groundwork for an infinitely remixable myth, kept alive over the decades by writers, actors, and readers. This investigation leads Dundas on travelsinto the heart of the Holmesian universe. The Great Detective transports us from New York City s Fifth Avenue and the boozy annual gathering of one of the world s oldest and most exclusive Sherlock Holmes fan societies; to a freezing Devon heath out of The Hound of the Baskervilles; to sunny Pasadena, where Dundas chats with the creators of the smash BBC series Sherlock and even wrangles a cameo appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch himself. Along the way, Dundas discovers and celebrates the ingredients that have made Holmes go viral then, now, and as long as the game s afoot.
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Back Jacket

For all who enjoy the company of Sherlock Holmes, in any of his many forms, reading Dundas s book will be hours well spent. Los Angeles Review of Books

More than a century after Sherlock Holmes first capered into our world, Arthur Conan Doyle s peculiar creation continues to fascinate us, and in The Great Detective, journalist and lifelong Sherlock fan Zach Dundas sets out to learn why. Through sparkling new readings of the original stories, he unearths the inspirations behind Holmes and his indispensable companion, Dr. John Watson, and reveals how Conan Doyle s tales laid the groundwork for an infinitely remixable myth. This investigation leads Dundas on travels into the heart of the Holmesian universe, from a Fifth Avenue mansion and the boozy annual gathering of one of the world s most exclusive Sherlock fan societies; to a freezing Devon heath out of The Hound of the Baskervilles; to sunny Pasadena, where Dundas chats with the creators of the BBC s Sherlock and finagles a cameo appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch himself. Along the way, Dundas discovers and celebrates the ingredients that have made Holmes go viral then, now, and as long as the game s afoot.

[A] sprightly, riveting exploration. Mental Floss

Incisive, well informed, and slyly witty (like Holmes himself). Shelf Awareness, starred review

Born in Montana and now based in Portland, Oregon, Zach Dundas is co executive editor of Portland Monthly magazine and a longtime journalist whose work has appeared in Monocle, Good Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. He is a member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the Diogenes Club."

Author Biography

ZACH DUNDAS is a co-executive editor of Portland Monthly magazine whose work has also appeared in Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications.He is a member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the Diogenes Club.