The first three books of this anthology include material in facsimile from The Strand Magazine, including the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. That novel is followed by two other full-length novels, which have been reprinted from later editions, and, finally, by two adventures reset directly from the original Strand texts.

The reader should be aware that this order does not strictly follow the order of original publication, but has been arranged to group similar elements together. (For the reader's reference and interest, an actual chronology of first publication appears below.)

The reader should further be aware that the sequence of action in the various tales was again different from the chronology of publication and has been the subject of considerable scholarly speculation and research. This should not, however, spoil the reader's pleasure or understanding of any of the stories.

All the stories reproduced directly from the pages of The Strand Magazine were illustrated by Sidney Paget, whose renowned classic drawings heighten and accentuate the drama and moods of the events. This Anthology is unique, however, in also including illustrations for the two early novels.

Although A Study in Scarlet was first published in 1887 and The Sign of the Four in 1890, they did not find their finest illustrator until several years, and several editions, later.

The intriguing illustrations for A Study in Scarlet included here are by George Hutchinson and came from the 1891 Ward, Lock & Bowden (London) edition. Although they predate the famous Sidney Paget illustrations and were the first excellent pictorial representations of Holmes, they are rarely reprinted today. There is a charm, wit, and humanity to these drawings that makes this hard to understand.

Equally mysterious is the obscurity of the illustrations to The Sign of the Four, done by Frank H. Townsend for a "Souvenir Edition" published by George Newnes of London in 1903. Only one or two have even appeared in scholarly publications in this country, so the present reader has an unusual treat in store in having access here to these superb illustrations that appeared in that early edition.

The publishers would like to acknowledge, with thanks, the assistance given regarding picture research by Andrew Malec of the O. Meredity Wilson Library at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Arthur Conan Doyle was originally trained as a doctor. His early education instilled the habit of careful observation, which forms such a critical part of his heroic detective's remarkable skills. In fact, it was Dr. Doyle's old teacher, Dr. Joseph Bell, who was the original model for Sherlock Holmes. This superb diagnostician taught him the importance of precise scrutiny, memorization of the essential detail, and deductive reasoning.

In the pages that follow, Dr. Bell describes, in an article he wrote for The Bookman in the 1890s, how expertly Dr. Doyle applied the lessons learned in class to his famous detective's methods and combined with this a gift for storytelling and suspense.

For his part, Dr. Doyle has left us the following portrait of his old master, whose intuitive powers he found "simply marvellous." As Dr. Doyle described it in the pages of The Strand, case number one would step up:

"I see," said Mr. Bell, "you're suffering from drink. You even carry a flask in the inside breast pocket of your coat."

Another case would come forward.

"Cobbler, I see." Then he would turn to the students, and point out to them that the inside of the knee of the man's trousers was worn. That was where the man had rested the lapstone - a peculiarity only found in cobblers.

All this impressed me very much. He was continually before me - his sharp, piercing eyes, eagle nose, and striking features. There he would sit in his chair with fingers together - he was very dexterous with his hands - and just look at the man or woman before him. He was most kind and painstaking with the students - a real good friend - and when I took my degree and went to Adrica the remarkable individuality and discriminating tact of my old master made a deep and lasting impression on me, though I had not the faintest idea that it would one day lead me to forsake medicine for story-writing.