The All-Time BEST Sherlock Holmes Audiobook Stories...
I'm 25. I first heard Gielgud and Richardson's "The Speckled Band" back when I was in 6th grade. I found copies of the Baker Street Dozen stories at my local library, and would constantly check them out, over and over again. Around 8 or 9 years ago, I bought my own copies in a cassette boxed set, which have since worn out.

So I was more than thrilled to see this, the Baker Street Dozen stories on CD, and separated into chapters, at that! There are websites that have copies of these stories, but they are in terrible quality, or chopped up. For stories that were first recorded in 1953, they sound like they were recorded yesterday. I have a bunch of old radio broadcasts on CD, ranging from THE SHADOW to MURDER AT MIDNIGHT and THE GREEN HORNET, and their quality ranges from horrible to fair. But THIS, my friends, is British radio at its finest; fully dramatized, with music and sound effects that fit right into the story, characters that come to life, and stories that will keep you listening over and over again.

It seems everyone in America can't look past the Sherlock Holmes ideal with Basil Rathbone and his rendition of the great detective... nobody really bothers to look or listen to other actors' versions of the character. Sir John Gielgud is, in my opinion, the greatest portrayer of Holmes. EVER.

To wrap this up... if you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, GET THIS. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. The acting is superb, the quality is astounding for something that's over 50 years old, and the replay value is higher than high, because these stories are timeless. The game is afoot, and you should come along...

A great tribute to the master detective...
I pick this audiobook up recently and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gielgud and Richardson were simply amazing in their respective roles as Holmes & Watson, and I believe the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself would have approved.

Worth mentioning is another item I read recently, The Crime Doctor. This book depicts EW Horung's sleuth, Dr. John Dollar, in his exploits in England and throughout Europe.

Both products recieve 5 stars from me.

Fantastic
These great recordings were made for the BBC in 1954 and were first aired in the UK that year and in the US in early 1955. The casting is perfect John Gielgud as Holmes and Ralph Richardson as Watson could not be beaten for a radio broadcast, and this probably still holds true to this day 53 years later. Although I think Jeremy Brett would push Gielgud close even without the visual aspect.

The addition of Orson Welles as Prof Moriarty in the story The Final problem is the icing on the cake. That penetrating voice is chilling and truly Holmes/Geilgud meets his match in Welles/Moriarty. Any Sherlock Holmes fan should get these historic recordings - you really don't know what you are missing.

Classic Stories, Well Adapted and Lovingly Acted
Three kinds of customers will appreciate this well-remastered collection: (1) Sherlockians, who love all things Doyle; (2) lovers of classic radio drama; (3) afficionados of two of England's finest actors of the modern stage, Sir John Gielgud (playing Holmes) and Sir Ralph Richardson (Watson). Since both actors also possessed two of the twentieth century's most mellifluous stage voices, these dramatizations are a feast for the ear. If you're at least two of these three customers in one, this reasonably priced set may be an irresistible buy. Get it now, before it goes out of print.

gielgud and richardson are perfect.
superb acting, excellent production and writing. it takes great skill to turn one of doyle's most excellent tales into a less than 30 minute radio play, and, to do a darn good job of it.
no matter how little time you have or how short your attention span, these are doable on the daily commute or while making dinner or housecleaning. if for some reason you are unable to read these stories, these cd's are the next best thing and a great introduction to the canon.