A Holmes By Any Other Name

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most recognizable—and most parodied—names in western literature. Bill Mason, BSI, collects and annotates these parody names, from the first one that appeared in 1891, to the present day. As Mason says in his introduction: One of the great aspects of Sherlock Holmes is the fact that, just as the character himself is subject to endless variation, so is his name. Ellery Queen noted that the name itself “is particularly susceptible to the twistings and mis-shapenings of burlesque minded authors.” Surely, Arthur Conan Doyle, who struggled a little with what he was going to call his detective hero, could not have known just how perfect the name he finally selected—Sherlock Holmes—would be for parody, for rhyme, for the transposing of letters and sounds, for the substitution of suggestive words in the name of a comic character. Mason’s listings are an invaluable resource for the Holmsian scholar, researcher, or for those interested in whiling away a few hours with a delightful and chuckle-inspiring volume.

The four years of the American Civil War are complete with deeds of valor, examples of self-sacrifice, and accounts of bloody carnage. Participants on both sides felt pride for faithful services rendered to their respective countries. But not all is as it appears. Quite often, complimentary and catchy sobriquets directed towards a high-ranking politician, military leader, or influential civilian were offset by snarky, backhanded names intended to demean and ridicule their intended targets. This unique book will reveal both the good and the bad associated with the facinating individuals who graced the pages of our 19th Century American crisis.

Few men of the Civil War era were as complicated or infamous as William Clarke Quantrill. Most who know him recognize him as the architect of the Confederate raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in August 1863 that led to the murder of 180 mostly unarmed men and boys. Before that, though, Quantrill led a transient life, shifting from one masculine form to another. He played the role of fastidious schoolmaster, rough frontiersman, and even confidence man, developing certain notions and skills on his way to becoming a proslavery bushwhacker. Quantrill remains impossible to categorize, a man whose motivations have been difficult to pin down. Using new documents and old documents examined in new ways, A Man by Any Other Name paints the most authentic portrait of Quantrill yet rendered. The detailed study of this man not only explores a one-of-a-kind enigmatic figure but also allows us entry into many representative experiences of the Civil War generation. This picture brings to life a unique vision of antebellum life in the territories and a fresh view of guerrilla warfare on the border. Of even greater consequence, seeing Quantrill in this way allows us to examine the perceived essence of American manhood in the mid-nineteenth century.

A real-life, mystery critic/sleuth “kills off” his famous fictional alter ego in this unique murder-without-a-suspect myster—the fourth book in the captivating, highly acclaimed Stokes Moran series. A delicious mix of mayhem and witty takeoffs on famous whodunits, this latest tale is a light-hearted, cleverly intricate mystery.

Fifteen-year-old Fran and her impulsive mother live alone on a small farm with a menagerie of entertaining animals. Against Fran’s better judgement, her mother rescues an abused horse from a shifty character. Fran names him Charlie and nurses him back to health. Gradually, they realize that he is a horse of rare quality. When it is suggested to Fran and her mother that Charlie might have been stolen, Fran is miserable at the thought of another girl out there with a broken heart. But her love of Charlie grows by the day and he’s turning into a fabulous jumper, giving Fran confidence she never had before. Meanwhile, a mysterious Gypsy boy, Kez, appears out of nowhere, lurking at the edge of their fields, and a string of tack thefts hits the area. Fran must go with her instincts to protect the wrongly accused, all the while searching for Charlie’s real owners yet hoping they will never be found. "A Horse by Any Other Name" is a story of friendship, crime solving, bravery, and love.

In this incisive blend of personal narrative and philosophical inquiry, journalist and activist Barrett Holmes Pitner seeks a new way to talk about racism in America An NPR Best Book of the Year Can new language reshape our understanding of the past and expand the possibilities of the future? The Crime Without a Name follows Pitner’s journey to identify and remedy the linguistic void in how we discuss race and culture in the United States. Ethnocide, first coined in 1944 by Jewish exile Raphael Lemkin (who also coined the term "genocide"), describes the systemic erasure of a people’s ancestral culture. For Black Americans, who have endured this atrocity for generations, this erasure dates back to the transatlantic slave trade and reached new resonance in a post-Trump world.

Welcome to 223B Baker Street! The debut of Sherlock Holmes in the pages of The Strand magazine introduced one of fiction’s most memorable heroes. Arthur Conan Doyle’s spellbinding tales of mystery and detection, along with Holmes’ deep friendship with Doctor Watson, touched the hearts of fans worldwide, and inspired imitations, parodies, songs, art, even erotica, that continues to this very day. “The Best Sherlock Holmes Parodies and Pastiches: 1888-1930” collects 33 pieces — short stories, poems, and cartoons — published during the whole of Conan Doyle’s literary career. Also included are much of the original art and 340 footnotes identifying obscure words, historical figures, and events that readers were familiar with at the time. Peschel Press’ 223B Casebook series — named because they’re “next door” to the original stories — is dedicated to publishing the fanfiction created by amateur and professional writers during Conan Doyle’s lifetime. Each book covers an era, publication, or writer, and includes lively mini-essays containing insights into the work, Conan Doyle, and those who were inspired by him. A lifelong fan of mysteries, and Sherlock Holmes in particular, Bill Peschel is a award-winning former journalist living in Hershey. He is the annotator of novels by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, publisher of the three-volume Rugeley Poisoner series, and author of “Writers Gone Wild” (Penguin). Other Books by Bill Peschel and Peschel Press THE 223B CASEBOOK SERIES Sherlock Holmes Victorian Parodies and Pastiches: 1888-1899 Sherlock Holmes Edwardian Parodies and Pastiches I: 1900-1904 Sherlock Holmes Edwardian Parodies and Pastiches II: 1905-1909 Sherlock Holmes Great War Parodies and Pastiches I: 1910-1914 Sherlock Holmes Great War Parodies and Pastiches II: 1915-1919 Sherlock Holmes Jazz Age Parodies and Pastiches I: 1920-1924 Sherlock Holmes Jazz Age Parodies and Pastiches II: 1925-1930 The Early Punch Parodies of Sherlock Holmes THE RUGLEY POISONER TRUE CRIME SERIES The Illustrated Life and Career of William Palmer The Times Report of the Trial of William Palmer The Life and Career of Dr. William Palmer of Rugeley THE COMPLETE, ANNOTATED SERIES The Complete, Annotated Secret Adversary By Agatha Christie The Complete, Annotated Mysterious Affair at Styles By Agatha Christie The Complete, Annotated Whose Body? By Dorothy L. Sayers OTHER BOOKS The Casebook of Twain and Holmes Hell's Casino (Amazon Kindle Worlds) Writers Gone Wild