Landmark Books in All Fields
ItemID: #120181
Cost: $4,800.00

His Last Bow

Sir Arthur Conan doyle

“THE FRIENDS OF MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES WILL BE GLAD TO LEARN THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL”

CONAN DOYLE, Arthur. His Last Bow. A Reminiscence of Sherlock Holmes. New York: George H. Doran, (1917). Octavo, original light orange cloth, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $4800.

First American edition of this collection of eight Sherlock Holmes stories, published in the same month as the English edition, in scarce original pictorial dust jacket.

"The inception of 'His Last Bow"— the title story in this, the next-to-last collection of Sherlock Holmes stories Conan Doyle would publish (The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes followed a decade later)—"was at a dinner behind the French lines in June 1916 when the author was asked by General Humbert: 'Sherlock Holmes, est ce qu'il est un soldat dans l'armée Anglaise? [Sherlock Holmes, is he a soldier in the English army?]' To which… [Conan Doyle] replied: 'Mais, mon general, il est trop vieux pour service' [But, my general, he is too old for service].' But pleased as he was with his answer, he was determined to show that Holmes had come to his country's aid. The new story… marked the end of Holmes' career, though not the end of his adventures" (Green & Gibson, 183). "The most satisfying of all the tales is 'His Last Bow:' the plot is simple; it is historical; it is interesting and entertaining; it has suspense; it is plausible; it ends happily and on a high note" (Van Liere). The volume also includes seven other tales. Published in the same month as, and possibly preceding, the English edition. Green and Gibson A40c.

Cloth with slightest embrowning to edges, tiny hole to front joint. Scarce original dust jacket with a few mild chips (affecting lettering), light rubbing to folds, short closed tear to rear flap. Near-fine condition.

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