Synopses & Reviews
Sherlock Holmes is the most famous fictional detective ever created. The supremely rational sleuth and his dependable companion, Dr. Watson, will forever be associated with the gaslit and smog-filled streets of late 19th- and early 20th-century London. Yet Holmes and Watson were not the only ones solving mysterious crimes and foiling the plans of villainous masterminds in Victorian and Edwardian England. The years between 1890 and 1914 were a golden age for English magazines, most of which published crime and detective fiction. The startling success of the Holmes stories that appeared in The Strand magazine spawned countless imitators. This volume highlights some of those "rivals" of Sherlock Holmes. The 15 tales in this anthology introduce readers to such sleuths as lawyer-turned-detective Martin Hewitt; the old man in the corner who solves crimes that defeated Scotland Yard's finest, by the creator of the Scarlet Pimpernel; forensic investigator Dr. Thorndyke; Jacques Futrelle's dazzlingly intellectual genius, Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, aka the Thinking Machine; and Carnacki the Ghost Finder, the detective of the occult, created by legendary horror writer William Hope Hodgson. It may well be true that there never has been and never will be a detective quite like Sherlock Holmes, but as this collection shows, he stood far from alone.
Synopsis
The essential guide to the blue plaques of Londonand#160;with over 65 new entriesLondonandrsquo;s distinctive Blue Plaques commemorate the remarkable men and women who have lived in the capital. Its biographical portraits, listed in alphabetical order, provide informative and sometimes irreverent anecdotes about many of the famous and some not-so-famous lives. The Guide describes the careers of more than 700 individuals; well-known names such as Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, Jimi Hendrix, and Florence Nightingale are featured as well as fascinating accounts of the antics and achievements of less familiar figures whose lives have also been commemorated by a Blue Plaque. The text includes maps showing the location of plaques in Central London, indexes by area and profession, and illustrations of some of the most remarkable individuals.
About the Author
Nick Rennisonand#160;has worked as a bookseller, editor, and writer for many years. He has written extensively on Londonandrsquo;s history and heritage, and is well-known for his accessible guidebooks to the city. He wrote the previous three editions of The London Blue Plaque Guide.and#160;