Michael J. Crowe - "Ronald Knox and Sherlock Holmes: The Origin of Sherlockian Studies - Five Writings by Ronald Knox" - 2011 First Edition - Gasogene Books - Hardcover with Dust Jacket 

Author: Michael J. Crowe 
Title: Ronald Knox and Sherlock Holmes: The Origin of Sherlockian Studies - Five Writings by Ronald Knox 
Publisher: Gasogene Books
Date of Publication: 2011
Place of Publication: United States
Edition: First Edition 
Format: Hardcover with Dust Jacket. Dust jacket protected by library quality paper backed plastic sleeve.  
Condition: In like new condition. Binding is tight. Book square. No tears, annotations, markings or bent corners throughout the book. No foxing or yellowing of pages. Dust jacket intact with no tears, chips, rubbing or markings.  
Details: Blue cloth bound hard covers. Front and rear covers blank. Title, author and publisher details on the spine in gold lettering. Pictorial dust jacket with a photograph of Ronald Knox with title and author details. Information and praise about Knox on the rear of the dust jacket. Title, author and publisher details on the spine of the dust jacket.

Michael J. Crowe is a pseudonym for the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, Professor Emeritus in the Program of Liberal Studies and Graduate Program in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Notre Dame. The Rev Cavanaugh is the author of a number of books, primarily on astronomy and a lifelong Sherlockian.

Ronald Knox (1888-1957) was an British theologian and crime writer. A Roman Catholic priest, Knox began writing detective novels while studying at Oxford University and later became a member of the "Detection Club" along with Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

The five essays collected in this volume, introduced and edited by the Michael J. Crowe, are regarded by Sherlockian scholars, researchers and fans as landmarks in the studies of Sherlock Holmes and credited by some as one of the major contributors to the revival of interest in Cona Doyle's Holmes and Watson stories. Knox is regarded as a pioneer in Sherlock Holmes studies with his 1912 article, "Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes" which Knox added to and amended over a number of subsequent years, often cited as the first serious examination of Doyle's work. In this seminal article Knox organizes several Holmes stories in chronological order and offers a biography of the detective as if he were an actual real-life personage. This perception of Holmes as a real person was common in the early part of the 20th century and still continues today. Knox's fascination and admiration for Doyle's creation was lifelong and this book of his collected essays reflects that.

The book is a good read. I would recommend that any reader takes the time to read the introduction before proceeding to Knox's essays as it provides details of Knox himself, his literary works and an historical context for his writings about Holmes. 

This is a genuinely rare book. I am not sure how many copies of this book were printed, but very few ever come onto the market. Prices for the books that do come onto the market are usually in the high AU$00's.  

A nice/serious addition to any collection of Sherlockiana.

$10 discount for local pick-up.