Broad in range and scope, this book explores the context and the details of philosophy, religion, literature, history and contemporary life that foster the creation and development of Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved character Sherlock Holmes and the stories, the world, in which he comes to life.

A native New Yorker, John V. Hennessy has written art, dance, and music criticism for newspapers in the New York area for years as well as catalogues for art galleries in Manhattan. He has also served as a panelist for the New York State Council on the ArtsAs a sideline, Mr. Hennessy was a stock trader on Wall Street for fifteen years. An Air Force veteran, he worked as a security supervisor for two New York companies and wrote the security manual for a large oil company.Mr. Hennessy holds a master's degree in creative art and he studied Hindu philosophy under Dr. S. C. Roy at Cooper Union before going on to complete every course offered by the New York Institute of Finance. His approach to the work of Arthur Conan Doyle combines a strong aesthetic sense with an acute eye for spotting and interpreting clues...