The author was Chief Editor of the OED and worked on the Dictionary for 37 years.
A perfect title. According to the OED, a Sherlock is someone who investigates mysteries or shows great perceptiveness . This aptly summarizes Sherlock Simpson, who tells the inside story of how that great dictionary has come to be written, illustrated by illuminating and sometimes daring word histories, and grounded in an engaging and moving autobiography. Anyone fascinated by words and their history will love it A charmingly full, frank and humorous account of a career dedicated to rigorous lexicographic rectitude . . . [Simpson] is an absolute hero - International New York Times A compelling tribute to the wonder of language - Guardian Poignant . . . a sustained and sincere reflection on what it means to make a dictionary - the toil, the puzzles, the costs and the profits - Guardian