Books : The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.25
EAN num: 9780470128237
ISBN number: 0470128232
Label: Wiley
Manufacturer: Wiley
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: April 20, 2007
Publishing house: Wiley
Sale Popularity Level: 315675
Studio: Wiley
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Praise for The Science of Sherlock Holmes
'Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics.... Utterly compelling.'
—Otto Penzler, member of the Baker Street Irregulars and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop
'E. J. Wagner demonstrates that without the work of Sherlock Holmes and his contemporaries, the CSI teams would be twiddling their collective thumbs. Her accounts of Victorian crimes make Watson's tales pale! Highly recommended for students of the Master Detective.'
—Leslie S. Klinger, Editor, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes
'In this thrilling book, E. J. Wagner has combined her considerable strengths in three disciplines to produce a work as compelling and blood-curdling as the best commercial fiction. This is CSI in foggy old London Town. Chilling, grim fun.'
—John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds and Sweet Deal
'I am recommending this delightful work to all of my fellow forensic scientists.... Bravo, Ms. Wagner!'
—John Houde, author of Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists
'A fabulously interesting read. The book traces the birth of the forensic sciences to the ingenuity of Sherlock Holmes. A wonderful blend of history, mystery, and whodunit.'
—Andre Moenssens, Douglas Stripp Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and coauthor of Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases
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Rated by buyers 
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A long-time fan of Sherlock Holmes, and having read the Cannon several times, I always had an appreciation for The Great Detective's appearances in film and new books. This book, with its analysis of forensic science is a must have for any true fan of Mr. Holmes.
Other highly recommended reading is the new release of EW Hornung's classic The Crime Doctor. Though not the equal to Sherlock Holmes, Doctor John Dollar is perhaps the very first fictional sleuth to use forensic science to combat crime.
Rated by buyers -
Sherlock Holmes and his times form the main theme around which the early developments in forensic science are presented in this highly entertaining and informative book. The period covered is mainly from about the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, but concentrates mainly on the latter part of the Victorian era. Advances in various disciplines within forensic science are discussed as are many early cases in which these new developments were used and occasionally misused. The writing style is friendly, authoritative and quite engaging. But in particular, the author's very witty prose makes this book doubly enjoyable. General readers who love good mysteries will not be disappointed here, but forensic science buffs, as well as Sherlock Holmes fans, would likely savor this wonderful book the most.
Rated by buyers 
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The author is a crime historian, a lecturer, and a teller of suspense stories. E.J. Wagner did write about the "True Cases Solved by Conan Doyle" (p.viii). This book uses Sherlock Holmes stories to discuss forensic sciences during the Victorian Age (p.ix). The 'Bibliography' lists a wide collection of books in English (pp.218-233).
Chapter 1 notes that 19th century France and Germany led the way in examining unexplained deaths (p.4). Rigour mortis, algour mortis, and livor mortis could estimate the time of death (p.5). Techniques in post mortem examination were refined (p.6). Chapter 2 is about "Black Dogs", a sign of impending death. [Do people still believe the howling of a dog at night signifies a death?] Chapter 3 discusses insects and their effects on corpses. This varies according to climate and geographical area. Human DNA profiles could be obtained from maggots that fed on a cadaver (p.39). Chapter 4 tells of poisons and the developing science of toxicology in the 19th century. Chapter 5 describes the use of disguises by a detective. Vidocq is used as an example. Hans Gross tells how to test for pretended deafness (p.71). Chapter 6 tells the stories of some famous Victorian crimes. One miscarriage of justice was corrected by the efforts of A. Conan Doyle. Could a dog eat a murder weapon (p.90)?
Chapter 7 discusses the problem of accurately identifying an individual. There is the famous identity case of the Tichbourne Claimant (p.94), which showed the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. Alphonse Bertillon invented the very first scientific method for identifying criminals. Fingerprints were used in China for centuries before their adoption in Victorian times (p.102). Edmond Locard found how fingerprints could be forged (p.107). Chapter 8 reports the science of ballistics in the 19th century. Microphotographic comparison of the test and murder bullets date from 1898. The failure to convict a murderer eventually led to more murders (p.131). Chapter 9 tells of identification by footprints, shod and unshod. Footprint evidence is rarely used yesterday (paved sidewalks?).
Chapter 10 discusses the importance of trace evidence in criminalistics (p.147). The importance of subtle trace evidence has increased with the ability to detect it. Chapter 11 deals with the examination of questioned documents. Handwriting comparison is not an exact science (p.167). Chapter 12 tells of the tests for blood. The method of spectrum analysis was used as early as 1864 (p.176). Blood types were discovered by 1900, and identifying human blood in 1901 (p.186). Chapter 13 discusses the various theories of why some people commit crimes. Myths and folk tales influenced people's thinking. Legends exist today, and innocents suffer (p.212). An opinion from a scientist is dangerous if it is accepted on faith ("ipse dixit"),
Rated by buyers -
With all of the forests that have been destroyed in providing paper for the many studies of Sherlock Holmes, it would be easy to think that nothing new could be said about the Great Detective. In THE SCIENCE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, E.J. Wagner splendidly proves this is not the case. With the recent interest in forensics provided by programs like CSI, and the rising numbers of characters based on Sherlock Holmes (HOUSE, MONK, Robert Goren of LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, etc.), a book detailing the science behind Holmes' cases could easily have became a piece of exploitation. Instead, Wagner offers careful, intelligent, and well-written analysis. This is one of the best Sherlockian studies in several years--actually, one that should join the ranks of the best of all Sherlockian studies.
Patcat
Rated by buyers -
This book is a shining example of excellence, an A. Author E.J. Wagner's absolute command of the facts, crisp summaries of the most famous cases, her irony and subtle sarcasm -- I am very, very impressed. And in this genre, I am a hanging judge.
To be honest, I had reservations when I very first heard about this book. Sure, there was plenty of excited murmuring among the die-hards in the Holmesian set. But many recent historic crime titles that took on topics of broad scope just absolutely flunked the quiz. As an attorney who has studied historic true crime for longer than I care to relay, I'm a very tough audience for an encyclopedic treatment of the subject. Check out my review of "Homicide: 100 years" and you'll see just one example of an author that butchered a promising premise.
But E.J. Wagner does not disappoint. If the Science of Sherlock Holmes contains any factual errors, I was hard-pressed to spot a one of them. In Wagners quite capable hands, the science, the real mysteries, and the fiction are woven together seamlessly. Wagner fills her early history of forensic science with larger-than-life characters and bizarre murder cases, from "the dark delights of the Borden mystery" to the famous Dreyfus affair, Charles Bravo case, Dr. Crippen, Hauptmann, Jack the Ripper, the Tichborne scandal, Constance Kent, and so on. Many of the interesting cases she mentions are new even to me. And she relays these stories in delightful prose -- I was often reminded of the crisp wit of my all-time favorite crime writer Edmund L. Pearson, and few other authors have ever so reminded me.
She also explains the earliest advances in forensic science -- but doesn't leave out such faux pas as phrenology. And there's Sherlock Holmes in large doses. It's no wonder the book has received glowing review after glowing review after glowing review.
A huge bibliography of Holmes titles and classic true crime books adds even more value to this book. I can't remember ever seeing such a comprehensive bibliography of the best historic crime titles. It would suffice as a "must get" list for a librarian looking to build a respectable collection of the all-time best in true crime. (I plan to photocopy it and give it to my husband in lieu of a Christmas list.)
Anyone with the remotest interest in Holmes, true crime, history, or science would enjoy The Science of Sherlock Holmes. Anyone who wants to write historical mysteries ought to memorize it before putting one word on paper. And anyone who finishes it may well be inspired to reread Conan Doyle with a whole new appreciation for the logician and his role in the development of the incredible systems of crime detection existing today.
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