Review:Sherlock Holmes among the Pirates/Christopher Roden
This review of the book "Sherlock Holmes among the Pirates", by Donald A. Redmond, was written by Christopher Roden and published in the A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (Vol. 1, No. 3) in september 1990.
Review
- Sherlock Holmes among the Pirates
- Copyright and Conan Doyle in America 1890-1930
- by Donald A. Redmond
- Greenwood Press. 1990; 28opp.: £34.95, U.S.$34.95
Reviewed by Christopher Roden
Whilst the title of this book may lead the reader to believe that he is about to witness a meeting between Holmes and Captain Sharkey, the truth is far simpler. As the book's sub-title goes on to explain, this scholarly volume is a detailed study of the copyright position in America between 1890 and 1930, and the way in which it, affected Conan Doyle. In fact, the study is more specific than that for, after mentioning briefly the various works by Conan Doyle which appeared in pirated editions, it concentrates on the specific printing and textual variances between the very many editions of The Sign of Four and A Study in Scarlet which appeared before copyright protection existed.
A detailed bibliography covering The Sign of Four and A Study in Scarlet occupies in excess of 120 pages and, from this, it will be seen that the book will be chiefly of use to very serious collectors of American editions and to those librarians whose pleasant task it is to guard the world's collections of Sherlockian treasures.
The Publisher's publicity material is a little misleading, describing the book as "a case study of the publishing history of his (A.C.D.'s) works." Concentrating in the main on just two titles, lessens the books wider appeal and the full list of textual variations discussed will probably be of only passing interest to the average reader who is unlikely to encounter the stories in these early forms.
There is no doubt that Mr. Redmond has produced a valuable contribution to the history of Sherlockian publishing — a book which takes up where both De Waal and Green and Gibson leave off. However, it is difficult to believe that the book will be widely read by the average Sherlock Holmes enthusiast and, in addition, the price tag which accompanies the book (particularly in Britain) may well act as a deterrent to all but the most ardent collector.
- Article courtesy Christopher Roden, founder of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (1989-2003).
