His Last Bow [Paperback]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

Gathering together in one volume the later exploits of the saga of Sherlock Holmes, the world's first consulting detective, His Last Bow includes tales published individually between 1908 and 1917, plus one early story, 1892's "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box," previously considered too "scandalous" for American audiences, with its themes of adultery. Here, Holmes must contend with mysterious bearded men, stolen secret submarine plans, a missing lady aristocrat, and his own near-fatal illness in stories including: . "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" . "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" . "The Adventure of the Red Circle" . "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans" . "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" . "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" . "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" . "His Last Bow" Scottish surgeon and political activist SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1859-1930) turned his passions into stories and novels, producing fiction and nonfiction works sometimes controversial (The Great Boer War, 1900), sometimes fanciful (The Coming of the Fairies, 1922), and sometimes legendary (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1892).

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Cosimo Classics (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160520157X
• ISBN-13: 978-1605201573
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This is the Short Story His Last Bow, Not the Compilation of Short Stories Titled the His Last Bow, January 5, 2011

By 

Cold In Seattle "Penny Pinching" (Kent, WA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: His Last Bow (Kindle Edition)

I did download this book as part of my compilation of a Sherlock Holmes Collection (which I intend to revisit in the Order written, starting with A Study in Scarlet). I discovered that this edition does not contain all the short stories (such as The Adventure(s) of Wisteria Lodge, The Adventure of the Red Circle, etc).

It is only the epilogue re WWI and Sherlock Holmes - a short story entitled His Last Bow. I won't review the story itself at this time, since I am still collecting.

While it may suit many to download a paid sample, and search for each Short Story here - I have downloaded a sample I plan on purchasing: His Last Bow (mobi). Readers can also download this sample, and collect the individual stories as described above.

So, while the story itself rates 4 stars or more, the misleading title and lack of product description forces me to a 2 star rating.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not His Last Bow, After All, September 8, 2011

By 

Carla C. Thomas "CC Thomas" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: His Last Bow (Kindle Edition)

"Honour is a medieval concept"

This story starts off rather strangely for a Sherlock Holmes tale. Usually we enter the scene at Holmes's study, 221 B Baker Street. Holmes usually already has his nose on the scent of a crime and we are pulled along for the adventure.

This story starts with a study, but it is very clearly not Holmes who is the center of attention. In this very short story, Holmes has come out of retirment as a bee-keeper and has gone undercover to pose as a traitor to the British government, willing to sell secrets during WWII. In a classic double-cross, Holmes reveals his hand at the last minute to trap a German spy.

Since we only get to see Homes at the very end of the crime, we don't get to see any deductive powers in action, which is what makes Holmes so great. This story is a very typical WWII British tale with a lot of anti-German sentiment. If you've never read Holmes, don't start with this one. If you're a Holmes-phile, you might enjoy knowing he retired briefly to keep bees. Who knew?

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conan Doyle Rooting For The Home Team, September 16, 2010

By 

Tai Chi (Southern California United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: His Last Bow (Kindle Edition)

This Holmes story was written at the onset of WWI. It is an incredible look at an author who is rooting for the home team, and using the intrepid Holmes to fashion at least a fictional victory. Holmes' final, hopeful view of the Great War didn't pan out, alas. It's not a great short story, although it's certainly a highly competent one. However it's a great window into the hopeful hearts of the British as they began their bloody slog through WWI.