4.2(11)

His Last Bow

"His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes" is a collection of seven previously-published Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Five of the stories were published in "The Strand Magazine" between September 1908 and December 1913. The final story, an epilogue about Holmes' war service, was first published in "Collier's" on 22 September 1917—one month before the book's premier on 22 October. Some later editions of the collection include "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box", which was also collected in "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" (1894). "The Strand" published "The Adventure of Wistaria Lodge" as "A Reminiscence of Sherlock Holmes", and divided it into two parts, called "The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles" and "The Tiger of San Pedro". Later printings of "His Last Bow" correct "Wistaria" to "Wisteria". Also, the first US edition adjusts the subtitle to "Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes". All editions contain a brief preface, by "John H. Watson, M.D.". The preface assures readers that as of the date of publication (1917), Holmes is long retired from his profession of detective—but is still alive and well, albeit suffering from a touch of rheumatism.