About the Author
Books by Michael Sims
Arthur & Sherlock Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes
'Fascinating ... A stimulating contribution to our never-ending fascination with Holmes himself, and, even more perhaps, his genial creator' Sunday Times A medical student at the University of Edinburgh, Arthur Conan Doyle studied under the vigilant eye of Dr Joseph Bell. He observed as Dr Bell identified a patient's occupation, hometown and ailments from the smallest details of dress, gait and speech. Although Doyle was training to be a surgeon, he was cultivating essential knowledge that would help him to define the art of the detective novel. From Doyle's early days surrounded by poverty and violence, through to his first days as a surgeon, Michael Sims traces the circuitous yet inevitable development of Arthur Conan Doyle as the father of the modern mystery. The incomparable Sherlock Holmes emerges as a product of Doyle's varied lessons in the classroom and professional life.
Arthur & Sherlock Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes
As a young medical student at the University of Edinburgh, Arthur Conan Doyle studied under the vigilant eye of Dr Joseph Bell. He observed as Dr Bell identified a patient's occupation, hometown and ailments both imagined and genuine from the smallest details of dress, gait and speech. Although Doyle was training to be a surgeon, he was meanwhile cultivating essential knowledge that would help him to develop and define the art of the detective novel. From Doyle's early days surrounded by poverty and violence, to his escape to University and finally to his first days as a surgeon in his own practice, acclaimed author Michael Sims traces the circuitous yet inevitable development of Arthur Conan Doyle as the father of the modern mystery, whose most famous creation is still the most well-known and well-loved of the canon's many members. Through Sims's deft analysis of Doyle's childhood and adult life, the incomparable Sherlock Holmes emerges as a product of Doyle's varied lessons in the classroom and professional life. Building on the traditions of Edgar Allan Poe, Emile Gaboriau, and even Voltaire, Doyle's new detective is not just a skilful translator of clues, but a veritable superhero of the mind in the tradition of his most esteemed teacher, Dr Joseph Bell. Sims's Arthur is just as vivid Doyle's own Sherlock Holmes in this enthralling biography of the man behind the most famous detective of all time.
The Dead Witness A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Detective Stories
The greatest ever anthology of Victorian detective stories, The Dead Witness gathers the finest police and private detective adventure stories from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including a wide range of overlooked gems. 'The Dead Witness', the 1866 title story by Australian writer Mary Fortune, is the first known detective story by a woman, a suspenseful clue-strewn manhunt in the Outback. This forgotten treasure sets the tone for the whole anthology as surprises appear from every direction, including more female detectives and authors than you can find in any other anthology of its kind. Pioneer women writers such as Anna Katharine Green, Mary E. Wilkins and C. L. Pirkis take you from rural America to bustling London, introducing you to female detectives from Loveday Brooke to Dorcas Dene and Madelyn Mack. In other stories, you will meet November Joe, the Canadian half-Native backwoods detective who stars in 'The Crime at Big Tree Portage' and demonstrates that Sherlockian attention to detail works as well in the woods as in the city. Holmes himself is here, too, of course - not in another reprint though - but in the first two chapters of A Study in Scarlet, the first Holmes case, in which the great man meets and dazzles Watson. Authors range from luminaries such as Charles Dickens to the forgotten author who helped inspire Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', the first real detective story. Bret Harte is here as is E. W. Hornung, creator of master thief Raffles. Naturally Wilkie Collins couldn't be left behind. Michael Sims's new collection reveals the fascinating and entertaining youth of what would mature into the most popular genre of the twentieth century.
Story of Charlotte's Web
As he was composing what was to become his most enduring and popular book, E. B. White was obeying that oft-repeated maxim: "e;Write what you know."e; Helpless pigs, silly geese, clever spiders, greedy rats-White knew all of these characters in the barns and stables where he spent his favorite hours. Painfully shy his entire life, "e;this boy,"e; White once wrote of himself, "e;felt for animals a kinship he never felt for people."e; It's all the more impressive, therefore, how many people have felt a kinship with E. B. White. With Charlotte's Web, which has gone on to sell more than forty-five million copies, the man William Shawn called "e;the most companionable of writers"e; lodged his own character, the avuncular author, into the hearts of generations of readers. In The Story of Charlotte's Web, Michael Sims shows how White solved what critic Clifton Fadiman once called "e;the standing problem of the juvenile fantasy writer: how to find, not another Alice, but another rabbit hole"e; by mining the raw ore of his childhood friendship with animals in Mount Vernon, New York. Translating his own passions and contradictions, delights and fears, into an all-time classic. Blending White's correspondence with the likes of Ursula Nordstrom, James Thurber, and Harold Ross, the E. B. White papers at Cornell, and the archives of HarperCollins and the New Yorker into his own elegant narrative, Sims brings to life the shy boy whose animal stories-real and imaginary-made him famous around the world.
Dracula's Guest A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories
Even in the twenty-first century, the undead walk among us... Before Twilight and True Blood, vampires haunted the nineteenth century, when brilliant writers indulged their bloodthirsty imaginations, culminating in Bram Stoker's legendary 1897 novel, Dracula. Acclaimed author and anthologist Michael Sims brings together the finest vampire stories of the Victorian era in a unique collection that highlights their cultural variety. Beginning with the supposedly true accounts that captivated Byron and Shelley, the stories range from Aleksei Tolstoy's tale of a vampire family to Fitz James O'Brien's invisible monster to Mary Elizabeth Braddon's rich and sinister widow, Good Lady Ducayne. Sims also includes a nineteenth-century travel tour of Transylvanian superstitions, and finishes the collection with Stoker's own Dracula's Guest - a chapter omitted from his landmark novel. Vampires captivated Victorian society, and these wonderful stories demonstrate how Romantic and Victorian writers refined the raw ore of peasant superstition into a whole vampire mythology of aristocratic decadence and innocence betrayed.
The Story of Charlotte's Web E. B. White and the Birth of a Children's Classic
While composing what would become his most enduring and popular book, Charlotte's Web, E. B. White was obeying that oft-repeated maxim: 'Write what you know.' Helpless pigs, silly geese,clever spiders, greedy rats - White knew all of these characters in the barns and stables where he spent his favourite hours as child and adult. Painfully shy, White once wrote of himself 'this boy felt for animals a kinship he never felt for people'. Nonetheless, that tens of millions have been so moved by Charlotte's Web, and by White's other classics, testifies to his deep understanding of the human condition. Bringing readers into intimate contact with E. B. White's world, Michael Sims chronicles his animal-rich youth and dreams of being a writer; the vibrant early years of the New Yorker,where urban nature was White's ever-present theme; the discovery of the farm in Maine where he and his wife would live; his fascinating scientific research into how spiders spin webs, lay eggs, and live in the world; his friendship with his legendary editor, Ursula Nordstrom; and the luminous creative process that led to publication of his masterpiece. By refining the raw ore of his childhood in Mount Vernon, New York, in the first decade of the twentieth century, White translated his own passions and contradictions, delights and fears, into a book that would be read the world over. The Story of Charlotte's Web illuminates the life of a literary icon, and will add richness and appreciation for anyone who has loved, or has yet to read, a cherished classic.
In the Womb: Animals
In the Womb: Animals follows the developmental path of three different mammals utilizing some of the most amazing technology available. This incredible journey was first chronicled for the critically acclaimed National Geographic Channel special of the same name, where 3-D and 4-D ultrasound was used on animals for the first time on television. These and other amazing computer-generated graphics highlight the path of development and in the process reveals of the amazing science with outstanding detail. This volume highlights the development of the bottlenose dolphin, Asian elephant, and golden retriever, and through comparisons to other animals and humans, emphasizes the differences-and similarities-between them. This resource is perfect for animal-lovers and inquisitive minds alike.
Working With Agencies An Insider's Guide
The client/agency relationship is an area fraught with potential problems. Competition in the field has now augmented the necessity to understand the working relationship far more thoroughly to help the client to get better value from the agency. The demand has moved from the need for client satisfaction to the need for excellence when it comes to agency performance. Only by having a good relationship can a client get the best advertising (and the same applies to both sides of the equation). A good relationship rests on a raft of elements, all of which are covered in this book.
Agency Account Handling Avoiding Blood, Sweat and Tears
Agency Account Handling strives to distinguish between good account handling and great account handling. This book will help you understand the wider picture of client servicing, give you satisfied customers and allow you to go home at night with a smile on your face. In reality it may not avoid all the 'blood, sweat and tears' but it will certainly reduce them to a manageable level. Good account handlers know instinctively most of the principles associated with effective client servicing. What results in great account handling is the difference an individual makes, all those little agency touches that add up to a competitive advantage and, essentially, the decision by an individual to concentrate on the right mix of priorities which will produce the most effective results. It should inspire people to strive for satisfied clients, fulfilled professional lives and strong client service departments. This book is a beacon for account handlers, giving insight, confidence and experience, whether you read it cover to cover or dip into relevant sections. It shines a light on the path to success for burgeoning careers and wily old dogs alike. --Steve Aldridge, Creative Partner, Partners Andrews Aldridge Indispensable! A soup-to-nuts analysis of all aspects of account management. A must for any ambitious account handler, from any discipline, who wants to further their career. --Suki Thompson, Managing Director, The Haystack Group There is much to recommend Mike's book. First, it fills a gap in the market. I haven't come across anything on great account handling practice, previously. Second, it has terrific depth and breadth. But what makes Mike's book really special is that it is a book to learn from. Having worked with Mike a lot over the last five years I know that he knows his stuff. What I hadn't realised is that he has a rare gift for imparting his stuff in the infectious way that is a pleasure to learn from. --Malcolm White, Executive Planning Director, Euro RSCG London
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