Episode 45: Sherlock Holmes and Politics

The political season is upon us. At least in America, that is. In case you've been hiding under a rock for the last 18 months, the presidential election is closing in, with Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney. This site certainly does not stand for any type of political dogma; indeed, Sherlock Holmes is for every political persuasion. So why would we want to touch the third rail of polite conversation and delve into politics on our podcast about Sherlock Holmes? As it turns out, there are a number of political figures in the Canon and politics, both domestic and international, play a role in the plots of a few of the stories. We take a look at the influence of politics inside the Sherlock Holmes stories as well as what was happening externally at the time. In addition, we even look at one member of the Baker Street Irregulars who had something of a government post and his Sherlockian scholarship - amazingly enough, written at a very crucial juncture of our country's history. Try as we might, we were unable to find a Gas-Lamp from the archives of The Baker Street Journal that were political in nature. However, we were able to find some letters from that government servant mentioned above, which make for a very special reading. Links: Franklin Delano Roosevelt's five letters to the Baker Street Irregulars Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century: Essays on New Adaptations by Lynnette Porter  Amazon UK  |  Amazon USA Sherlock and Transmedia Fandom: Essays on the BBC Series  Amazon UK  |  Amazon USA I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock