In the summer of 2016 retired broadcaster Paul Ashton made an astounding discovery at a car boot sale in Sussex. He found a copy of Sherlock Holmes’s Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, and bought it for £2. No other copy of this legendary volume – the only book Holmes wrote – has ever come to light. The Handbook is the journal kept by Holmes from 1904 to 1912. 1904 was the year he retired from active investigation and moved to a farmhouse in East Dean. In 1912 he came out of retirement and left East Dean in order to outwit the German spy network in Britain on the eve of World War I. The journal is, of course, principally the record of his bee-keeping activities, but Holmes has also included a wealth of astonishing information – some of it highly indiscreet – about the following: – his marriage to Mrs Hudson – their social life in Sussex – his meetings with Lenin, Pablo Picasso, Edward VII, Rudyard Kipling, George Bernard Shaw and Sigmund Freud, among other distinguished figures – two investigations that he carried out, even though officially retired – two attempts that were made on his life – his involvement in the Jack the Ripper murders, the Dr Crippen affair, the theft of the Mona Lisa, and the Siege of Sidney Street – his correspondence with some of the famous scientists of the day – his active support of the Suffragette movement – the regular updating of his casebooks of famous criminals of the nineteenth century – a number of photographs, some taken by him and four actually showing him – the steady deterioration of his health over the period. Both the owner of the Handbook and the publisher are honoured to be able to make this unique treasure available to the general public.

In the summer of 2016 retired broadcaster Paul Ashton made an astounding discovery at a car boot sale in Sussex. He found a copy of Sherlock Holmes's Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, and bought it for 2. No other copy of this legendary volume - the only book Holmes wrote - has ever come to light. The Handbook is the journal kept by Holmes from 1904 to 1912. 1904 was the year he retired from active investigation and moved to a farmhouse in East Dean. In 1912 he came out of retirement and left East Dean in order to outwit the German spy network in Britain on the eve of World War I. The journal is, of course, principally the record of his bee-keeping activities, but Holmes has also included a wealth of astonishing information - some of it highly indiscreet - about the following: - his marriage to Mrs Hudson - their social life in Sussex - his meetings with Lenin, Pablo Picasso, Edward VII, Rudyard Kipling, George Bernard Shaw and Sigmund Freud, among other distinguished figures - two investigations that he carried out, even though officially retired - two attempts that were made on his life - his involvement in the Jack the Ripper murders, the Dr Crippen affair, the theft of the Mona Lisa, and the Siege of Sidney Street - his correspondence with some of the famous scientists of the day - his active support of the Suffragette movement - the regular updating of his casebooks of famous criminals of the nineteenth century - a number of photographs, some taken by him and four actually showing him - the steady deterioration of his health over the period. Both the owner of the Handbook and the publisher are honoured to be able to make this unique treasure available to the general public.

Issue 5 of the "Practical Handbook of Bee Culture" from the Retired Beekeepers of Sussex. A collection of essays, fiction, poetry, and art all on the topic of "Doctors & Soldiers."

Issue 6 of the "Practical Handbook of Bee Culture" from the Retired Beekeepers of Sussex. A collection of essays, fiction, poetry, and art all on the topic of domestic life.

“The most lucid call to action ever written about land-based beekeeping” from the author of The Backyard Beekeeper (Tammy Horn, author of Bees in America and Beeconomy). Backyard beekeepers everywhere agree: a successful colony is a thing of beauty. Thousands of beekeepers have started beekeeping thanks to Kim Flottum’s first book, The Backyard Beekeeper, and they have added to their repertoire of skills with The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook. Now, Better Beekeeping answers the question, “What do I do now that I’m a beekeeper?” This book takes serious beekeepers past the beginning stages and learning curves and offers solutions and rewards for keeping bees a better way. Better queens, better winters, better food, and better bees await any beekeeper willing to take on the challenge of having the right number of bees, of the right age, in the right place, in the right condition, at the right time. “There are numerous beekeeping books on the shelves that instruct on ‘how to,’ but Better Beekeeping is a book that explores ‘why to,’ which is essential for this ever-changing world of beekeeping today.” —Jennifer Berry, research coordinator at the University of Georgia’s Honey Bee Research Lab, commercial queen, and columnist for Bee Culture magazine

This book contains a comprehensive introductory guide to bee-keeping, being a complete index and reference book on all practical subjects connected with bee culture - in both common and movable-comb hives. Written in clear, concise language and full of information that will prove invaluable to the novice bee-keeper, this text is not to be missed by those with a keen interest in the subject. It would make for a great addition to any collection of bee-keeping literature. The chapters of this book include: 'Experience in Bee Keeping'; 'How to Transfer Bees from the Common Hive'; 'Increase of Stock'; 'Natural Swarming Considered, And Objectives Pointed Out'; 'Italian Bees and Their History'; 'Wintering Bees'; 'Robbing'; 'Hives'; 'The Apiary – Its Location'... and much more. We are proud to republish this vintage book, now complete with a new and specially commissioned introduction on bee-keeping.