PRISONER OF THE DEVIL: Sherlock Holmes & the Dreyfus Case

NY: Proteus, 1980. 1st edition, 2nd Printing September 1980. light edgewear, page edges lightly spotted else near fine in rubbed dust jacket, light wear at head and foot, not price clipped, ($9.95), in protective mylar cover. 1895 France. "The case is one of the most notorious in European history -that of the French Jew ,Alfred Dreyfus.In 1895 Dreyfus ,a mild and somewhat unprepossessing man ,was carving out a modestly successful career in the French military and was employed on the General Staff when he was accused of trying to sell military secrets to the Germans .He was tried "in camera" and found guilty on the flimsiest of evidence ,being sentenced to life imprisonment on the notorious Devil's Island near the coast of South America,the widespread view of his supporters and other interested parties being that his social isolation and religion(he was Jewish)made him an ideal scapegoat for the misdeeds of other better placed people . Holmes is approached by Dreyfus' brother Matthieu but he refuses to become involved until he is asked to do so by none other than Queen Victoria who is worried that the case may be exploited by those anxious to drive a wedge between Britain and Germany.Under cover as a journalist he travels to the area ,sneaks onto the Island and meets Dreyfus and is persuaded of his innocence .Holmes uncovers the truth -that Dreyfus is indeed a victim of wider European power struggles .His brother Mycroft warns Holmes off the case claiming his involvement threatens the stability of Europe and throws a number of obstacles in the path of a wholly satisfactory resolution to the case". First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Book.