Several others have written covering the contents of The Common Law. I will just emphasize that most of the book focuses on how contemporary (in 1881) legal doctrines and issues had originated and developed in the cases and decisions of English courts from around 1200 AD onwards. This book is of interest primarily to people who are planning to study law and want some foundation, or to individuals with unusual historical interest in often-obscure English court decisions. I fell into the former category; the effort I put into tackling this book is worthwhile because I plan to use the knowledge later ... if I didn't, it would have been pretty much a waste of time.

There is one major caveat for the average reader. If you have not already studied the law, you will pretty much need to have a legal dictionary on hand. Assumpsit, bailment, disseisin -- if you are not familiar with terms like these, you are liable to have a very tough time with Holmes. Moreover, as a rule he tends to assume that the reader (originally, listener) is aware of the current state of the law already, and then proceeds to delve into its background. So if you do not understand the role of consideration in contracts already, you will essentially be forced to deduce it.

One gripe (and this is obviously not Holmes' fault) is that it is often very difficult, or at least very inconvenient, to follow up on his well-compiled footnotes, because many of the sources he frequently refers to (Glanvill, Fleta) are out of print and found only in academic or law libraries (and even then are frequently non-circulating materials), and most of the cases he cites are either from the Year Books (likewise arcane and out of print) or from unrecognizable English reports (Moody, Cox, B&S, H&C). Even a source like Blackstone, who was so fundamental to early American judges and lawmakers, is in few libraries and only 50% in print today; and Yale's online version does not appear to be volumized or paginated in accordance with whatever edition Holmes used.

This may sound like quite a catalog of complaints, but in the end I am very glad I invested the time and effort to conquer this book. Don't be turned off, just be aware that a relatively (for law books) [inexpensive] price does not make this a "mass-market" paperback.

Some may not agree with all or much of Holmes legal philosophy, but regardless, this book is well written and provides a first-hand perspective on one of America's foremost legal figures.

Oliver Wendell Holmes is regarded as one of the finest American jurists in history; this book deserves the accolades it has received.

Carol Brugge's novel is rathe rthin on period details-geography, customs and most of all language-the diction has a very modern feel. It is my contention that the cover blurb from Mr Kaye was prompted by friendship(?) with the author more than any merit in the book itself

This is Carole Buggé's first novel-length Sherlock Holmes adventure, having previously written short stories in 'The Game's Afoot' and 'The Resurrected Holmes'.

While this first novel is a good attempt, I was a little disappointed that I found it fairly easy to work out how the story was going to come out, and who was doing what. The story not only features Sherlock Holmes, but his brother Mycroft and his opposite number, Professor Moriarty. With three substantial intellects at work, I really should have been guessing up until the very end.

Another problem is the chess motif adopted in the story. At some points it appears that there is a literal chess game going on, at others that it is a metaphorical chess game. Since it sometimes one and sometimes the other, some of the things that happen make absolutely no sense in terms of the other paradigm.

Having said all that, the portrayal of the characters is good, and the plot line more than passable. I actually suspect that Ms. Buggé wrote the book so that attentive readers could penetrate the plot, which is certainly preferable to those writers who use Holmes' deductive abilities as deus ex machina. Ms. Buggé's second Holmes novel, 'The Haunting of Torre Abbey', is on my shelf of unread books and I will read it in due course. Hopefully some more experience will take the promise of this novel into a mote fully developed book.

While not the best Holmes pastiche that I've read, The Star of India still deserves an honorable mention. It has its share of suspense and Holme's deductive powers. The language and flow of the story is quite different that that of the original canon, and it could be quite distracting.
I would reccommend giving this a read, although it could use some work. I hope that Ms.Bugge writes more Holmes pastiches, because this one was quite enjoyable.

I purchased this book in part on the strength of three 5-star reviews on this site. This is a very handsome hardcover volume at a surprisingly reasonable price.

There are three classifications of stories in the book. First, stories primarily written by Adrian Conan Doyle, with some input from JD Carr. Second, two stories written almost entirely by Mr. Carr, possibly with some slight input from Doyle. Third, six stories written solely by Mr. Adrian Doyle.

Since I have read a number of mysteries by Carr, and expected much, I was most disappointed to find his two stories the weakest in the book. In one instance, after reading the first page I was able to anticipate the entire plot. In the other case, I simply found the story flat, uninteresting, and narrowly derivative of similar stories in the original Holmes canon.

To the contrary, some of the stories by Mr. Doyle cannot be praised enough. One that's typical, "The Adventure of Foulkes Rath," seems up to the work of Arthur Conan Doyle himself. All in all, Adrian Doyle admirably captures the style and brooding Gothic tone that so typifies many of the best stories in the original Holmes canon. Moreover, Adrian Doyle's stories have a kind of life and warmth that brings the Edwardian world alive for the reader.

I would give the book five stars were it not for a few tales that seem off the pace, and decidedly inferior to the others. Alas-- and surprisingly-- these are from JD Carr's pen. Perhaps Carr tried too diligently to write an impeccably logical mystery, where nothing in the denoument was not well provided for in the early story. The effect, unfortunately, was to create a mechanical kind of plot, which made it all to easy for the reader to anticipate too accurately the entire unfolding of the story.

So in this interesting and generally worthwhile book of tales, we might have the amateur outwriting the old master.

All in all, a worthwhile purchase -- and handsome book with great bedtime reading at a very reasonable price.

Also one of the strangest. It's widely uneven, since two people write different sections of it, but still an interesting read. Now, this book sounds nearly exactly like Doyle's original stories. Why? It's not just the dated language, it's the simple mechanism most Holmes fans don't use: Making mistakes. Giving Holmes a red dressing gown instead of purple or grey. Giving an irregular the name "Billy", the name of his page-boy. Small details like that. However, for some reason, I thought that, as the book neared it's close, it sounded more and more like a pastiche. The most superior stories are "The Gold Hunter" and "The Sealed Room". The former, based on "the Camberwell poisoning case", involves the death of an elderly man in his bed, with literally no indication of how he died. The latter is based on "Colonel Warburton's Madness", and involves whether or not a retired military man shot himself and his wife in a locked room, or if he was murdered. "Foukles Rath" is a story where the killer is introduced at the very end, leaving the reader with no way to solve it. "The Abbas Ruby" has few suspects and is very easy to guess whodunit, and "The Dark Angels" seems like you haven't been given enough evidence to confront the murderer. "The Black Baronet" was also good, good enough to be adapted as a Tv play starring Basil Rathbone. But "The Red Window" totally ripped off "The Norwood Builder", covered up with the line "I may use this modest trick again" or words to that effect. Also, it has Holmes saying "Elementary, my Dear Watson," which he never said. All in all, OK reading.

The original Sherlock Holmes stories are riddled with references to other cases which the author never elaborated on. Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian and famed mystery writer John Dickson Carr have decided to flesh 9 of these cases out. While not on the level of Sir Arthur's originals they are an interesting and enjoyable entertainment that will provide a good quick read before bed time.

Holmes is generally considered to be a Beat novelist, but that label creates unfair expectations for those who have not read his work. In truth, Holmes' writing is a narrow bridge between writer's of the 30's and early 40's and the Beats. His style is reminiscent of Thomas Wolfe to an extreme--something Kerouac was guilty of in 'The Town and the City.' The problem with this novel is that Holmes wants so badly to chronicle the activities and attitudes of the Beats, but he can't pull it off stylistically. Kerouac's spontaneous prose was better suited for the subject matter and themes. This is why Kerouac, not Holmes, is generally considered the King of the Beats. Holmes' prose is dense with word illustrations and bland dialogue. Compare this with Kerouac's economy of words and beat-laiden dialogue, and you'll see why Kerouac's chronicles of the Beat Generation more fully capture the essence and spirit of the movement. If you truly enjoy Thomas Wolfe, you'll like Holmes. But if you're thinking 'Go' is anything like 'On the Road,' think again.

"Go," generally acknoweldged as the first of the Beat Generation novels, was Holmes' first novel and it shows many of the typical flaws of the first major work of a talented artist. The tone is incosistent, the plot tends to wander, and the first half the book has a tendency to drag. That said, "Go" is still a worthwhile novel. Much as his friend Jack Kerouac would later do, Holmes essentially records his life as an aspiring writer living on the fringes of the postwar New York underground. Under various aliases, such familiar characters as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Neal Cassady wander through the book. In its loose, episodic fashion, "Go" tells the story of a young writer who, while desperately trying to complete his first novel, watches his friends and wife dance through a decadent society, fueled by their own desire to say something original in a world that seems to fear and despise anything less than the purely conventional. Its a familiar plot but Holmes truly manages to capture both the excitement and the fear that goes with being both young and undiscovered. This a book that will be easily understood by anyone who has ever been convinced that they, for whatever reason, have been blessed with the ability to see both the beauties and the horrors of modern life that the rest of the world seems to safely ignore. As well, the book serves as a sad lament for both the promise and the ultimate fate of the original members of the Beat Generation. Though Holmes couldn't have realized it at the time, some of the book's most powerful scenes comes from having the knowledge of the ignominous fates that await characters like Gene Pasternak (Jack Kerouac) and Hart Kennedy (Neal Cassady) once they find the success that they are so desperately seeking. Even if uneven, it makes for an exhilirating read that, in the wonderful final chapter, truly does leave the reader feeling as if he has -- for a moment -- been transported back to the New York of the 1950s, when it truly seemed that these fatally flawed geniuses held the future and the salvation of American literature in their hands.

Though he is usually credited with both coining the much maligned term "Beat Generation" as well as writing "Go," the first truly Beat novel, John Clellon Holmes has long been overshadowed by more experimental contemporaries like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs. As Holmes himself acknowledged in personal interviews and this autobiographical novel, he was always on the fringe of the main Beat group -- i.e., a somewhat conservative, responsible intellectual trying to make a name for himself amongst a group that prided itself on being neither conservative nor responsible. Holmes is one of the few important Beat figures to never figure importantly into any of Kerouac's novels and his writing style was far more conventional than those of the better known Beats. As a result, "Go" has too often been unjustly ignored by modern-day adherents to the Beat Generation. This is unfair because "Go," though certainly imperfect, is still a valuable look at these future mythological figures before they become legends and is an entertaining work on its own.

Whenever the immortal giants are discussed and associated with The Beat Generation the trinity of Kerouac, Ginsberg and Cassady top the list. After reading "Go" by John Clellon Holmes I feel he deserves some recognition. His story follows 4 major characters that howl through early 50's New York along with a cast of minor junkies, addicts and Hobbes' wife who can't decide what she wants. From smoky jazz clubs like The Go Hole and all night "tea" parties Hobbes(holmes), Pasternak(kerouac), Stofsky(ginsberg) and Kennedy(cassady) face life's situations and decisions with actions and reactions that portrayed most everyone who would become what is known as "The Beat Generation." And, as we all know, that was really the beginning of all that is hip, cool, far-out and trendy.

When I learned that fellow law school classmate Mike Stewart had written a book, I just had to read it. Little did I know that 'Sins of the Brother' would be one of my favorite books of all time. Naturally, I snapped up 'Dog Island' as soon as I could get my hands on it. It didn't let me down. I can't wait for Mike Stewart to publish #3!

After reading two pages of Dog Island, I knew this was a book I had to finish. Mike Stewart does a masterful job of grabbing your attention early and keeping you guessing in which direction the characters will go next. This is a mystery that you won't figure out until the end (but don't start there). Great job Mike, and thanks for the autograph (New Orleans 2/17/01). I will definitely follow up with Sins of the Brother.

A great story! I love mysteries where I am not only drawn in, but I'm transported. After finishing Dog Island I felt like I just got back from Florida. I was scratching at imaginary mosquito bites. Mike Stewart has an intimate, distinctive style that draws you in and makes you at home, even when Tom is about to get stomped by swamp hillbillies with big trucks. He never lets the story go and his characters are fresh and compelling.

Thanks for a great time, Mike. I can't wait to meet Tom and friends again.

It's always nice to see new material devoted to history's greatest detective. Some of the contributions in this new collection are really pretty good. The structure of the book is also ingenious, with the stories presented in "chronological" order as if they were the results of true research. But about ten of the stories are a complete waste of time. I found myself thinking in several cases "What was the point of that?" It is also irritating to have Holmes linked to so many great historical figures of the period, so that, by the end of the book, there is hardly anyone famous whom Holmes has not met and the reader is tempted to play "Spot the Star". The editing needed a much firmer hand: for example, in one story, the name of Holmes's client is spelled three different ways on the same page, and careless mistakes mar some of the others too. But, on the whole, I had fun reading this book and it moved me to reread the originals - yet again!

Mike Ashley has assembled a large collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, mostly new to this collection (three are reprinted, but I only had the previous appearance of one of these).

If you are someone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and is always looking for more, than this is a book you will want. The stories are of a consistent quality, written by authors who are practiced in their art, and involve Holmes and Watson considering problems whose solutions are not normally obvious from the outset.

For me, while none of the stories were particularly outstanding in either good or bad terms. I enjoyed Stephen Baxter's 'The Adventure of the Inertial Adjustor', Peter Crowther's 'The Adventure of the Touch of God' and Zakaria Erzinçlioglu's 'The Adventure of the Bulgarian Diplomat' marginally more than the others.

I'd recommend this book to Holmes enthusiasts, or to those with little exposure to the Great Detective. It is a good collection of decent quality.

This is a wonderful collection! As with any collection of Holmes stories by modern writers, there are bound to be a few clunkers. What impresses me is that, even though a few of the stories are slightly off the mark, the vast majority of the stories are dead on.

Only one of the cases, in which a series of grisly killings are investigated, is not quite in the voice of Doyle (mostly due to the graphic descriptions). However, this case also lets Watson shine. Rather than the standard Watsonish "Amazing!" or "Remarkable, Holmes!" every time Sherlock utters a revelation, Watson gets to do a little detecting of his own, albeit medical. What I particularly liked in the story was that Watson is not left to simply marvel at Holmes, but gets to contribute more than just the use of his service revolver.

The timeline at the end of the book is also helpful in putting Sherlockia in some sense time-wise. When did Holmes first begin detecting, when did he stop, when did such-and-such a case occur? All are nicely laid out.

The book is divided into the early years of Holmes' career, his middle years, and later years. We get to see early cases, and his final case.

The choices of stories by the editor are first rate. This is easily the best collection of new Holmes you're likely to find on the market.

The voice of the Master can be heard throughout the book!

This software is for CCNA 640-407, not 640-507. IT IS OUT OF DATE and should not even be sold any more. I haven't been able to find the ExamCram software for 640-507.

After using other numerous test-prep software it was nice to see on that was actually done by a real programmer. Although it did have some quirks in the area of presenting questions that were answered correctly/wrong more than once; It was otherwise a fine program. Only wish they would tell you exactly how many questions there are. You are lead to believe 501 but I am sure that it is much more than that.

Cisco certification is one that I have been studying for, for over ten months and during that time I have reviewed several books and audio tapes. New Riders have given me the first software package that makes the certification process simpler.

The package is a manual install, although I think for the price they should have made it auto install. You have several hundred questions to learn from and the installation and configuration was fast and easy. The user interface is great and no special requirements are need in order to run the package.

After getting the application installed you are ready to choose from one of three modes. First is the study mode allowing you to learn and study the objectives at the same time. Next you have the practice mode where you can try your hand at an exam.

Finally you have the adaptive mode where the exam learns from you and this is one to try after you have become comfortable with the objectives of the exam. Overall a good product, the price may stop a few from buying but the value of the certification should outweigh this.

Worn out from a recent excess of cases, Holmes and Watson are taking it easy when a telegram reaches them from Inspector MacDonald, a man Holmes greatly respects. It seems that Professor Josiah Addleton, an eminent historian, had been killed under grotesque circumstances at the village of Little Stoke in the Vale of the Bittern.

Rushing off to the village, Holmes and Watson discover that Addleton had been excavating a barrow near the village. In addition to the prehistoric contents of the barrow, the Professor was also on a quest to discover treasure stolen four centuries before from a local monastery. In addition there are two equally ancient royal charters. These charters were needed to resolve a long standing argument over land holdings between two prominent local families - The Grey's and the Forrester's. Something the Professor knew triggered his murder, but what is a mystery.

Watson investigates the village, talking to the people and accumulating lore about local legends and myths. Children's rhymes and old men's tales. Little Stoke was the site of a colorful 16th century history, from smugglers to knights, as well as a rich prehistory full of barrows and cairns. Holmes, on the other hand, focuses on the chief players. Rowland Forrester, and William and Mary Grey are the opponents in the argument over land rights. Professor Frey and Portland Donner, were Addleton's partners at the dig. There are many others whose roles are less clear, but whose part in the mystery is undoubted. Holmes and Watson uncover layer after layer of mystery and deception as they seek the murderer, the missing treasure and documents.

The tale itself is mystifying and entertaining. I found myself immersed in each of the several stories that unravel under Holmes' piecing eye. There is something here for everyone, from horseracing to archeology, and the pictures of rural England make it a 19th century travelogue as well. Only a few qualms have kept me from giving the novel a 5 star rating.

The first is the writing style. Since none of Doyle's stories really classify as full blown novels, writers who venture into this territory must create a believable Watsonian style for themselves. In James Stefanie's case he had adopted some of the approaches that Doyle uses elsewhere, and backfilled with his own invention. Unfortunately, while the writing is good, it does not always ring true to Watson, showing much more attention to local color and far more philosophical brooding than Doyle's Watson ever demonstrated.

Throughout the first hundred pages of "The Charters Affair" you might ask yourself why James Stefanie included so much detail and description. If you did and continued to read until the plot took over, the answer became self-evident: familiarity. You gain a such feel for the area and its inhabitants that you almost become one of the people sitting in the parlor as Holmes unveils the perpetrator at the end of the story.

For a first-time reader of the Holmes genre, like myself, the Charters Affair included just the right amount of background and reminiscence to answer some of my questions concerning the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It also allowed me to see the two men as separate and distinct personalities. Holmes with his systematic, unidirectional, unbending, and often Machiavellian drive contrasted starkly with Watson's thoughtful, sometimes muddling, optimistic and occasionally flustered, all too human view of life. Seeing Holmes through Watson's eyes, with a doctor's concern for the physical wellbeing of a friend, was illuminating, and added depth to the narrator.

And as the story is a reminiscence, the author's use of somewhat antiquated language worked well. My studies in England acquainted me with the style and verbiage employed by Mr. Stefanie in telling this story, and for me enhanced the experience markedly.

Without giving away the plot, the tale is a complex interwoven fabric of many eras, including a tribal burial in pre-Druid times, the monastic middle ages, the granting and misplacing of land charters, the pirate trade, and a Holmesian-era expedition to excavate the tor that brings Holmes and Watson to the area to solve a murder mystery. All in all, great intellectual fun with twists and turns, a complex plot, and very interesting characters.

I had the good fortune to tip a pint or two with James Stefanie shortly after his novel was published, and after our conversation wondered not whether Sherlock Holmes had actually lived, but whether Dr. Watson had ever actually died.

I have read and re-read the Sherlock Holmes mysteries over and over for the past 60+ years. Mr. Stefanie has captured the essence and being of both Holmes, and Watson - a feat yet to be accomplished by writers of Holmesian stories in this day and age.The description of places and people in this book are without equal. If you've never been to England, you will upon reading this book, immediately want to pack your bags and seek out these bucolic villages and quaint places. If you've already been to England, the nostalgia will be overwhelming. His vivid descriptions paint a picture of Holmes' Victorian England that will send the reader back in time. Here is a writer who may be an alter-ego of Sherlock Holmes, or a reincarnation of Conan Doyle. This book is a "keeper" - to be read, and re-read, each time with the expectation of once more meeting the great Sherlock Holmes and his side-kick the erstwhile Dr. Watson ala Conan Doyle.

Nicely written and engaging, this book is well worth reading. Some of the other reviews cover details of plot, so I'll say only that I found it a good read with few shortcomings. But readers who are looking for a Sherlock Holmes story should be warned that this isn't about Mycroft or Sherlock.

This is the sort of book that is worth reading when you have pockets of time like on the train or bus in the morning or at night when you have a little time to yourself in the tub. It is a wonderful story, which I wouldn't be surprised if some of the elements are factual!!!

A deceptively meaty book in spite of the angel food texture. Quietly disfunctional families come to grips with the past and future. Not much to add to the already positive reviews, here. Just a really good read that got under my skin in a very positive way.

No one would be surprised to find that this book features Sherlock Holmes in an adventure set on board the Titanic. And it will also be no surprise for me to say that the ship sinks towards the end of the book.

William Seil sets out to set up an intriguing group of passengers, many of who have ulterior motives, as Holmes and Watson form part of a party protecting secret submarine plans being transported to America on the Titanic's maiden voyage.

The cast includes relatives of better-known Holmesian mainstays - we have Christine Norton, daughter of Irene Adler, and Colonel James Moriarty, brother to the more famous professor. As well as fictional characters, actual members of the crew and passengers of the Titanic play their roles. I was well pleased to see mystery writer Jacques Futrelle given a significant role in the novel. Sadly, Futrelle's stories of Professor Van Dusen, the Thinking Machine, have been allowed to fall out of print, but it is particularly good to see Watson and Futrelle make reference to the Thinking Machine's exploits and to contrast them to Holmes' own during the novel. I'd suggest that his role is a due tribute to one of the many victims of the Titanic's fatal voyage.

As the novel progresses, a number of stories are played out as the reader sees the different suspects duly investigated. The characters are driven by a perceived deadline in the ship's arrival in New York, but we readers know that the iceberg is waiting to cut short the events of the book.

This is Seil's first book (and only to date...), and does show some of the weaknesses of first books - such as a desire to pack too much in. However, his writing style is pleasing and characters fairly well-defined. While not breaking new ground (hardly a requirement in a Holmes' book) is a decent if unchallenging read.

In my view , by far the best non Doyle tales of Holmes are those written by Laurie R King and featuring Mary Russell partnering the great man in retirement.Indeed I am unable to resist the somewhat heretical notion that in many respects they are not merely good and worthwhile novels in their own right but-and here many will flinch and possibly question my parentage as well as my judgement--they strike me as at least the equal of all the Doyle Holmes novels,Baskerville alone excepted.The meat of Holmes was the short stories and I ado not feel the rest of his Holmes novels were all that good.
William Seil does not approach the quality of either Ms King or other of the better pastiche Holmesians like Boyer and Meyer but he does give us a brisk and sprightly novel that bubbles along quite nicely and entertains the reader well enough.#
Part of a series from Breese Books of London , in which various authors re-imagine Holmes in a multiplicity of situations this one --narrated of course by the stalwart Watson--sees him on board the Titanic acting in concert with Irene Adlers daughter ,now a British agent to see the safe delivery to New York of British plans for a new submarine.There are plenty os fuspects when the plans vanish--a grim Teutonic couple;an American adventuress ;the brother of the late Professor Moriarty
etc.Stir in a Marxist plot to blow up the vessel as an Anti-Capitalist statement and the plot buils and bubbles nicely.
The book does sag from time to time and the mass of technical detail about the ship's engines etc gets a tad wearisome .Another problem is the knowledge we are burdened with as readers about the fate of the vessel which tends to make us less responsive to the foreground plot than we need to be for maximum involvement.
I was pleased to note the captain and crew escape the disgraceful character assassination that was so marked a feature
of the despicable movie and was impressed by the power of the scenes depicting the sinking of the ship.
Holmes is not drawn especially well but Watson comes across in a strong light and the author draws an interesting parallel between Watson and his passion for writing historical novels with Conan Doyle who had similar enthusiasms,
Good lightweight entertainment that will keep Holmesians happy enough for a few hours.

Ok, this is not the best Sherlock Holmes book I have read but it was actually quite enjoyable! Actually it should be titled "Dr Watson and the Titanic Tragedy." Holmes is in it but Watson is certainly in the forefront.
Despite this I highly recommend this book!