biography sir arthur conan doyle

Like the elusive Sherlock Holmes, his most famous creation, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a man of many contradictions. Scientifically educated, he believed in s?ances and fairies. An advocate for more equitable divorce laws, he believed that women should be denied the vote. A humanist who identified with oppressed peoples, he staunchly defended English colonialism at its most aggressive. He dreamed of being a serious historical novelist, yet he is best remembered for stories that he considered pot-boilers. The product of a pragmatic, fiercely protective mother and a detached dreamer of a father, Conan Doyle became a man with astonishing self-confidence, a tireless self-promoter who also retained some measure of childish innocence throughout his life.

Arthur's parents, Mary Foley Doyle and Charles Altamont Doyle, had moved to Scotland from London, hoping that Charles could advance his career in architecture. Having inherited some measure of his family's artistic talent, Charles began with every hope of success, but never realized his dreams. Plagued by depression and alcoholism, Charles was a distant father and husband, becoming so detached from reality that he ended life in an asylum. With considerable charity, his son Arthur later said of him, "My father's life was full of the tragedy of unfulfilled powers and of underdeveloped gifts."

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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle summary

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , (born May 22, 1859, Edinburgh, Scot.—died July 7, 1930, Crowborough, Sussex, Eng.), Scottish writer. He became a doctor and practiced until 1891, studying with Dr. Joseph Bell, who was the model for his fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle was knighted for his medical work in the second South African War and his public defense of the war. Holmes first appeared in “A Study in Scarlet” (1887). Collections of Holmes stories began with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892). Tiring of Holmes, Conan Doyle devised his death in 1893, only to be forced by public demand to restore him to life. His other Holmes novels include The Sign of Four (1890), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), and The Valley of Fear (1915). His historical romances include The White Company (1890). Late in life, Conan Doyle devoted himself to spiritualism.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A Biographical Introduction

Dr andrzej diniejko , d. litt.; contributing editor, poland.

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Introduction

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is known all over the world as the creator of one of the most famous fictional characters in English literature, the master detective Sherlock Holmes, but he was much more than the originator of modern detective literature. He was a man of many talents and pursuits: a medical doctor, multi-talented sportsman, prolific and excellent storyteller, keen patriot and a staunch imperialist, as well as a campaigner against miscarriages of justice.

He tried his hand in many genres of fiction and poetry. He wrote detective stories, historical and social romances, political essays and an innumerable number of letters to the press, public figures, acquaintances and friends, to his adored mother and other family members. Last but not least, he was a formidable public speaker and a dedicated Spiritualist, who investigated and popularised supernatural phenomena. A Victorian to the bone, he cherished the ideals of duty, chivalry, honour and respectability.

The origin of the surname

Doyle had an ancient Irish surname, ranking twelfth in the list of the most common surnames in Ireland. It can be derived from the Gaelic Dub-Ghaill ('dark foreigner'), the name which the Celts gave to the Vikings, who began settling in Ireland more than 1,000 years ago, or from the Anglo-Norman surname of d'Oillys, who arrived in England with William the Conqueror and then settled in Ireland.

There is a controversy about the full name of the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. He always signed himself: A. Conan Doyle. Whether Conan is a middle name or the first part of the compound surname is a matter of dispute among Doylists. The entry in the register of baptisms of St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh gives 'Arthur Ignatius Conan' as his Christian names, and 'Doyle' as his surname.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a child, with his father Charles Altamond (Adcock 96).

The Doyle family originated in Ireland and were dedicated Roman Catholics. Arthur Conan Doyle's grandfather, John Doyle (c. 1797-1868), a tailor, was born in Dublin into a devoutly Catholic family. All John's siblings entered Catholic religious orders, but John, who exhibited artistic talents, decided to become a painter. In 1820, he married Marianne Conan, a daughter of a Dublin's tailor. In c. 1822, John and Mary Doyle moved to London with their baby daughter and rented a house in Soho, which was inhabited by artists and writers. John wanted to become a portrait painter, but soon he gained fame as a political cartoonist under the pseudonym of HB. In 1833, he moved with his wife and children to a large house near Hyde Park at 17 Cambridge Terrace, where he subsequently entertained notable people including Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, William Makepeace Thackeray, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, and Edwin Lanseer.

In 1832, Charles Altamont Doyle, Sir Arthur's father, was born. He grew up with one sister and three brothers. All his brothers made splendid careers: James William Edmund (1822-1892) was a historian and history illustrator; Richard (1824-1883) became a Punch cartoonist like his father; and Henry Edmund (1827-1892) became an art critic and a painter. In 1869, he was appointed Director of the National Gallery of Ireland.

Charles (1832-1893), Arthur's father, was not as successful as his elder brothers. Although he exhibited an original artistic talent, he was not able to earn a living from his paintings. At the age of 17, he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, and got the job of a clerk in the Office of Works as an architectural draftsman. He rented lodgings in the New Town, a central area of Edinburgh, in a house owned by a Roman Catholic widow Catherine Foley. In 1855, he married his landlady's daughter, Mary Josephine (1837-1921), aged seventeen, with whom he had nine children, seven of whom survived infancy.

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859, at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh. He was baptised two days later in nearby St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. Arthur was raised in a dysfunctional family because his father, an impecunious artist, was neurotic and could hardly support the family with a clerk's meagre salary. He developed a serious drinking problem, which eventually brought him to a mental asylum in 1881. Arthur's mother was a strong-minded Irishwoman, who traced her ancestry to the Plantagenets. She held the family together and carried the burden of running the household and raising the children. In his Memories and Adventures Conan Doyle writes that his boyhood in Edinburgh was

Spartan at home and more Spartan at the Edinburgh school where a tawse-brandishing schoolmaster of the old type made our young living miserable. From the age of seven to nine I suffered under this pock-marked one-eyed rascal who might have stepped from the pages of Dickens. [11]

Arthur's mother, who knew well contemporary English and French authors, was a masterful storyteller, and she inspired her son to take interest in history and literature. She exerted a strong influence on his future career. She told him stories of their family ancient aristocratic roots. At the age of about five Arthur wrote his first story, which had only thirty-six words. It was about a Bengal tiger and a hunter.

At the age of seven Arthur began his education at Newington Academy in Edinburgh. Then thanks to his mother and the financial help of his uncles, particularly, Michael Conan, a Paris correspondent for the Art Journal , Arthur received good education. First, he was sent for a year to Hodder, a prep school which prepared for a prestigious Jesuit school, Stonyhurst College, in Lancashire, which Arthur started in autumn 1870. As Andrew Lykett writes:

Stonyurst was conservative and ultra-montane. This meant that its Rector or Head, Father Edward Ignatius Purbrick, followed a firm papal line in seeking to stem the tide of materialism in post- Darwinian Britain. [Lycett 32]

Arthur did not like the strict discipline and excessive religious instruction which the Jesuits had imposed on pupils. He was soon disillusioned with the Christian faith and when he was leaving the school he became almost an agnostic. While at Stonyhurst College, Arthur edited a school paper called Wasp and next the Stonyhurst Figaro , in which he revealed his talent as a future story writer. He also became a keen sportsman. In his later life he played cricket, rugby, football and golf, and was a cross-country skier.

After passing the London Matriculation Examination at Stonyhurst, Arthur spent a year in a Jesuit grammar school, Stella Matutina, in Feldkirch, Austria, where he was to learn German. He did not speak much German because he was surrounded by other English boys, but he discovered the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, such as “The Gold Bug” and “The Murder in the Rue Morgue,” which later exerted a great influence on his detective fiction. At Feldkirch he also edited a student paper, the Feldkirch Gazette , which carried the motto “Fear not, and put it in print.” However, when he wrote an editorial criticising the Jesuit teachers' custom of censoring the boys' letters, the paper was shut down. Arthur's uncle, Michael Conan, a famous journalist, encouraged him to write, but he did not take this idea seriously at that time. (Pascal 18)

As a young boy Arthur was an avid reader, and one of his most favourite books was Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe . His other early readings included the novels of Robert Michael Ballantyne, Mayne Reid, James Fenimore Cooper, and Jules Verne. He spent much of his spare time reading, and once he borrowed so many books from the local library that, as he recalls in Memories and Adventures , a special meeting of a library committee was held in his honour, at which a bye-law was passed that no subscriber should be permitted to change his book more than three times a day. (Pascal 13)

In 1876, Arthur Conan Doyle began to study medicine at his mother's suggestion at the University of Edinburgh, which had been one of the best medical schools at that time. He met Dr. Joseph Bell (1837-1911), the famous lecturer and an expert in the use of deductive reasoning, who inspired the character of Sherlock Holmes, and the physiologist, Professor William Rutherford (1839-1899), a model for Professor Challenger. He also studied under Sir Robert Christison (1797-1882), one of the founding fathers of modern toxicology. (Harris 449)

During his medical studies, Arthur desperately tried to earn money for his living and to support his family. 1879, he worked as a medical assistant to Doctor Hoare in the town of Aston (now a district of Birmingham); next he worked in Sheffield and in Ruyton-XI-Towns, Shropshire. As a student he began writing short stories to earn some extra money. His earliest fiction, “The Haunted Grange of Goresthorphe,” was rejected by Blackwood's Magazine , but The “Mystery of the Sasassa Valley” was accepted for publication by Chambers Journal . He also published a scientific article, “Gelseminum as a Poison” in the British Medical Journal .

In 1880, Conan Doyle took a break from his studies and went on a daring six-month sea voyage to the Arctic on the whaling ship Hope. All British whale ships had to carry a surgeon, even if he was a 20 year-old medical student. During the voyage Doyle wrote a fascinating diary which was published recently. This voyage inspired him to write the story, “The Captain of the Pole Star.”

Medical profession and part-time authorship

Finally, in 1881, Conan Doyle passed qualifying examinations and settled in the Portsmouth suburb of Southsea in the next year to begin his own medical practice. As a keen sportsman, he joined the Southsea Bowling Club and the North End Cricket Club, and started playing rugby. He also joined the Literary and Scientific Society. Soon he found out that he was not satisfied with his medical career and decided to try his hand in writing fiction. From a young age he found pleasure in writing letters and articles and, finally, composing short stories.

In Southsea, Doyle, aged 23, wrote articles and short stories for London Society , All the Year Round , Temple Bar , Lancet , and The British Journal of Photography . He also wrote his first novel, The Narrative of John Smith . Its manuscript was lost in the mail on its way to the publisher. Although not good fiction, the novel provides a fascinating insight into the young writer's mind. It was published in 2011.

This early novel is about a middle-aged man who is stricken with gout and confined to his bed for a week. He attempts to write a book, and expounds his views on topics such as medicine, religion, literature and interior design. Many of the opinions reflect the author's outlook, e.g. his belief in the importance of science and medicine, and his scepticism about religious dogma.

In the 1880s Conan Doyle continued his private medical practice at Southsea, which turned out to be far from prosperous, and published fiction in various magazines. In 1886, he wrote a novella, A Study in Scarlet , which introduced the character of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Because of its brevity it was not published as a separate book, but was included in Beeton's Christmas Annual in the following year. The Annual was not very popular and Doyle decided to write historical romances instead of detective fiction.

Conan Doyle often wrote to his mother about his longing to have a wife. Eventually, in 1885, he married Louise 'Toulie' Hawkins, whom he had met while treating her terminally ill brother Jack. Surprisingly, instead of going on a honeymoon with his young wife, he went on a tour of Ireland with the Stonyhurst Wanderers, the school's old boys cricket team. Four years later Arthur and Louise had their first child, Mary, and in 1892 their second child, Arthur, known as Kingsley.

In 1890, Conan Doyle studied briefly ophthalmology in Vienna. He then visited the Hygiene Institute in Berlin, where Robert Koch's cure for tuberculosis was being tested, and reported on the cure, first in a letter to the Daily Telegraph , and next in an article “Dr Koch and his Cure,” published in the Review of the Reviews . Although he had some doubts about the curative properties of the new procedure, he was impressed by Koch himself as “a model of scientist as hero.” (Kerr 84)

After return to England, Conan Doyle moved to London with his wife and daughter to start practice as an eye specialist at 2 Upper Wimpole Street. However, as he wrote in his Memories and Adventures , “not one single patient had entered the threshold of my room.” (96) Having no patients he had plenty of time to reconsider his career, and eventually, he decided to undergo a significant metamorphosis from doctor to writer (Kerr 91). In August, Doyle decided to give up medicine and make his living as a full-time professional writer. He next moved with his family to Tennison Road in South Norwood to concentrate only on writing. He published the first six “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” in the Strand Magazine , and in 1890, the second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of the Four , in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine . When the stories were published in book form as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892), “the Baker Street mania finally swept the public. By then Conan Doyle had launched himself as a full-time professional writer.” (Dirda 12)

Life at Undershaw and Windlesham

In 1893, Louise was diagnosed with tuberculosis. During the first years of the illness, the Doyles spent much time in Switzerland, hoping that local climate would help her. While in Switzerland Conan Doyle practised winter sports and became the first British to cross the Alpine pass in snow shoes. After return from Switzerland to London, Conan Doyle met the novelist Grant Allen at luncheon, who told him that he had also suffered from consumption and that he had found the climate of Surrey beneficial for his health. Doyle rushed to Hindhead, the highest village in Surrey, with buildings at between 185 and 246 metres above sea level. He immediately bought a plot of ground, and commissioned a house to be built before leaving with his wife for Egypt in the autumn of 1895. The house, called Undershaw, which was designed for rest and recuperation of his wife, was ready in 1897.

During the years at Undershaw Conan Doyle wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles , The Return of Sherlock Holmes , The Great Boer War , Sir Nigel , and many other short stories and nonfiction writings. Louise died in 1906 at the age of 49. Shortly after the death of his wife, Conan Doyle married Jean Leckie (1872-1940), a beautiful daughter of a wealthy Scottish family, who rode horses, hunted, and had trained as a singer. (Pascal 94) She turned out to be the greatest love of his life. He had met her at a party in 1896, while Louise was still alive and fell in love at first sight. It appears that the relationship with Jean was platonic until Louise died. They were married a year later and he bought the house Windlesham, near Jean’s parents in Crowborough, Sussex. Conan Doyle had two children with his first wife: Mary Louise (1889-1976) and Kingsley (1892-1918), and three children with his second wife: Denis Percy Stewart (1909-1955), Adrian Malcolm (1910-1970) and Jean Lena Annette (1912-1997).

Literary career

Conan Doyle’s literary output is prodigious. During his writing career Sir Arthur wrote twenty-one novels and over 150 short stories. He also published nonfiction, essays, articles, memoirs and three volumes of poetry. He left thousands of letters to the press, his mother (about 1500 letters), family, friends and acquaintances, including Winston Churchill, P. G. Wodehouse, Theodore Roosevelt, and Oscar Wilde. Jeffrey and Valerie Meyers, editors of The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Reader: From Sherlock Holmes to Spiritualism (2002) write:

He shared Dickens's sense of justice and social responsibility, his warm humanity and delight in the lively individuality of the characters he created. Like Dickens, he published his stories and novels, often in serial form, in the weekly magazines that were the staple of popular entertainment in the late nineteenth century. Like his younger contemporary and friend, H. G. Wells, he used his scientific education and medical training in his fiction and challenged the prevailing belief in the idea of progress. Like Wells, he also became an important public figure whose opinion was sought on the crucial issues of the day, an influential speaker at a time when the lecture was a popular event. [x]

The Sherlock Holmes stories

Between 1887 and 1927, Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six stories with Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant London-based “consulting detective” famous for his astute observation, deductive reasoning and forensic skills to solve difficult cases. Holmes's fictional forefather was Edgar Allan Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin, but it was Conan Doyle who first introduced to literature the character of the scientific detective. Holmes, one of the best known and most popular characters in English literature, is not only a successful master detective, but he is the epitome of the Victorian and imperial values.

Sherlock Holmes embodies the system that he comes to protect. He is the man of reason, of science, of technology; he is from the upper class and was educated at Oxford; he eventually becomes rich; and he frequents best city clubs and other haunts of the gentleman. [Lehan 84]

The first novel that introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson of 221B Baker Street, London, A Study in Scarlet , a tale of murder and revenge, appeared in Beaton’s Christmas Annual in 1887, and the second, The Sign of the Four , in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. After publishing the first set of Sherlock Holmes stories in the Strand Magazine between 1891 and 1893, Doyle was not particularly proud of his detective fiction. He planned to write an opera, a book of medical short stories and a Napoleonic saga. He believed that historical romances, and not his detective stories, were his most important work. (Wilson 22) In 1893, he tried to kill off Holmes at the height of his popularity by plunging him over the Reichenbach Falls with Professor Moriarty, Holmes's greatest enemy, but in 1902 Holmes appeared in The Hound of the Baskervilles because the reading public demanded further adventures of the great detective. As a matter of fact, Doyle did not bring Holmes back to life, but told a story that had taken place before his disappearance at the Reichenbach Falls. (Redmond 24) However, there was such a great public outcry that he eventually resurrected the master detective in “The Adventure of the Empty House” in the 1903 October issue of the Strand Magazine .

Doyle created the first truly great detective in fiction and gave a great impetus to detective story as a fictional form. The tremendous popularity of Sherlock Holmes in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods can be explained by the fact that he not only embodied the late Victorian faith in the power of logic and rationality, but above all restored confidence that the British were capable to maintain law and order not only in Britain but also in the Empire at large.

The Professor Challenger stories

Although the Sherlock Holmes stories are his best fiction, Conan Doyle wrote novels and short stories in many genres. These include historical fiction, horror and suspense, psychological thriller, science fiction, poetry, and plays for the stage. In addition, Sir Arthur wrote nonfiction works on a variety of subjects: essays on literature, accounts of England’s involvement in the South African War and World War I, memoirs and diaries, writings about photography, works on the paranormal, occult and Spiritualism .

Arthur Conan Doyle is also the author of fantasy and science fiction, which includes three novels and two short stories: The Lost World (1912), The Poison Belt (1913), The Land of Mist (1926), “The Disintegration Machine” (1928), and “When the World Screamed” (1929). The Lost World introduced his second most famous character, Professor George Edward Challenger, who guides an expedition deep into an isolated plateau in the South American jungle where some prehistoric animals (dinosaurs) and indigenous race of ape-like people still live. Challenger, a scientist of enormous intellect and adventurer, was designed to be a character to rival Holmes. The Poison Belt is an apocalyptic novel that features the same characters who appear in The Lost World . Astronomers discover that the Earth is about to be engulfed in a belt of poisonous gas “ether” from outer space. Prior to (apparently) extinguishing all life on the planet, the belt causes a mysterious outbreak of illness whose symptoms are irritability, loss of inhibition, coma, and (pseudo) death. (Harris 453) In The Land of Mist (1926) Professor Challenger is converted to Spiritualism.

The Challenger stories, which recall Jules Verne’s science fiction, are less popular of Doyle's fictions than the Sherlock Holmes stories. However, they contain interesting narrative structure and their themes concern imperialism, positivist science, the male role, evolution, degeneration theory and atavism. (Christensen 121)

Historical romances

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote several popular works of historical fiction. The first was Micah Clarke (1889), which is set in the seventeenth century during the Monmouth Rebellion. The White Company (1891) recounts the history of a company of medieval English archers during the Hundred Years' War, in the years 1366 and 1367. In 1906, Doyle published its prequel, Sir Nigel , which is set in the early phase of the Hundred Years' War. Doyle also wrote a series of short stories about a Napoleonic hussar named Etienne Gerard, which were first published in magazines and eventually in book form: The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard (1896) and Adventures of Gerard (1903). They are “brilliant evocations of the Napoleonic ethos.” (Dirda 73) Earlier in 1892, he published The Great Shadow and Other Napoleonic Tales . It should be noted that Conan Doyle was often disappointed at being famous chiefly for the creation of the Sherlock Holmes character. He had a much higher esteem of his historical novels than the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Arthur Conan Doyle also wrote nonfiction. In 1907, he published Through the Magic Door , a long essay about the charisma and charm of books. He also wrote several books dealing with public topics, such as The Crime of the Congo (1910). He also published A History of the British Campaign in France and Flanders ( 6 vols., 1916-1920), and A Visit to Three Fronts (1916). In 1914, Doyle wrote several pamphlets about the war. In 1924, Doyle published his excellent autobiography, Mysteries and Adventures , which recounts his life from early childhood, education, voyages as a ship's doctor, medical practice in Southsea, his literary endeavours, experiences from the Boer war, legal and political campaigns, interests in sports, and commitment to spiritualism.

In 1900, Doyle served in the Boer War as a volunteer doctor in the Langman Field Hospital at Bloemfontein between March and June. After return home he wrote a lengthy book, The Great Boer War , which sought to justify the British cause and to emphasise the great need for army reform and modernisation. The book was hailed in the press for its accuracy and fairness. (Pascal 99) In 1902, Doyle received his knighthood from the British Crown for a pamphlet, The War in South Africa: Its Causes and Conduct , in which he defended England's position in the Boer War in South Africa and for his service to the nation. He was reluctant to accept the title, but his mother talked him into it. (Pascal 103) There is also a theory that king Edward VII, who was an avid reader of Sherlock Holmes stories, knighted him to encourage him to write more stories about the 'master' detective'.

Interest in spiritualism

Arthur Conan Doyle became interested in the paranormal in the late 1880s and studied it for the rest of his life. In the last quarter of his life, he abandoned literary career and devoted himself to spreading the spiritualist message throughout the world. He lectured on spiritualism in Great Britain, Australia, and South Africa, and the United States, during which he covered 55,000 miles and addressed a quarter of a million people. In 1926, he published The History of Spiritualism in two volumes at his own expense.

Other accomplishments

Sir Arthur was a large, vigorous, active man, with all of the Englishman's traditional fondness for sports. Throughout all his adult life he wore the “walrus” moustache of the late Victorian era. He was an outstanding sportsman; he played football, and billiards. While living in Southsea he was a goalkeeper for Portsmouth Association Football Club. He was also a keen cricketeer. “For many years Conan Doyle even belonged to a rather literary cricket team called the Allahakbarries, its name punningly combining the Arabic formula praising God with a nod to the team’s captain J. M. Barrie (creator of Peter Pan).” (Dirda 13) Between 1899 and 1907, he played 10 first-class matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club. He also practised boxing and was a pioneer motorist and a rally-driver. In the 1890s, he started ski-touring to Switzerland. He was an occasional bowler and keen golfer. In 1910, he was elected captain of the Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, East Sussex.

Conan Doyle was always a partisan of the underdog. He campaigned successfully against miscarriages of justice. He conducted a long campaign to defend the half-British and half-Indian solicitor George Edaljii, who had been accused of mutilating animals. Julian Barnes' novel, Arthur and George (2005) recounts this episode in his life. Conan Doyle also campaigned for the release of Oscar Slater, a German Jew born in Upper Silesia, who was accused of murdering an old woman in Glasgow. Doyle exposed inconsistencies in the police investigation and Slater was finally freed.

Conan Doyle was also an early champion of building the Channel Tunnel, which, he believed, was necessary, “for the deployment of troops and armaments in France in an anticipation a German war.” (Wynne 21) For his various accomplishments he received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the university of Edinburgh in 1905, and was a knight of grace of the order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Death and legacy

Towards the end of his life Sir Arthur suffered angina which he contracted during his exhausting world tours. He died of heart failure on July 7, 1930, in Crowborough, East Sussex, leaving his widow Jean, their three children, Dennis, Adrian and Jean, and his daughter Mary, by his first wife. His eldest son, Kingsley, who served in World War One, was seriously wounded at the 1916 Battle of the Somme; later he developed pneumonia which he contracted during his convalescence and died in 1918 aged 25.

The last words of Conan Doyle were addressed to his wife. He whispered smiling to her: “You are wonderful.” (Davis xvi) He was 71 years old. Sir Arthur and his second wife are buried at the New Forest Church of All Saints, Minstead. Legend has it that as a devoted spiritualist, he was first buried in an upright position in the garden of his home at Crowborough. The house in Crowborough was sold, but the graves remained until 1955, when the Doyle family decided to fulfil Lady Jean's original wish that they be buried together at All Saints. The remains of Sir Arthur and Lady Jean were exhumed from the garden and reinterred in the churchyard. After a short private ceremony the couple were laid horizontally to rest. The epitaph on the gravestone in the churchyard at Minstead in the New Forest, Hampshire, reads: “Steel True, Blade Straight, Arthur Conan Doyle, Knight, Patriot, Physician & Man of Letters.”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a versatile and complex personality; he was physician by education, keen sportsman, war correspondent, campaigner for social justice, creator of the world's most famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, author of historical and social novels, and active Spiritualist. As Douglas Kerr has written in his recent book: “Arthur Conan Doyle was, arguably, Britain's last national writer.” (13) An Irish by ancestry, Scottish by birth and upbringing, and British by choice, devoted to Crown and Empire, he still remains one of the most popular British authors and a national icon.

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Last modified 22 March 2016

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle biography

Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859. Doyle's family (Conan was his middle name, and it was only later in life that he began to use it as his surname) sent him to Jesuit boarding schools to be educated, and he later entered the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1881.

One of his professors at the university was Dr Joseph Bell, who became the model for Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. It was Bell who drummed into Doyle's head the importance of using his innate powers of observation to help him deduce the nature of a patient's affliction.

While in school, Conan Doyle began writing to earn a little extra money. His first story, The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley was published in the Chambers' Journal in 1879.

Shortly after, his father fell ill, and Doyle was forced to become the breadwinner for the family. He worked for a time as a ship's doctor, then opened his own medical practice near Portsmouth. In his spare time, he did more writing.

In 1885 Conan Doyle married Louise Hawkins, and had two children with her before she died following a protracted illness in 1900. In 1907 he remarried, to Jeanne Leckie, and had three more children with her.

His third attempt at a novel was A Study in Scarlet , the story which introduced Sherlock Holmes to the world. Study was published in Mrs. Beeton's Christmas annual, in 1887. Encouraged by publishers to keep writing, Conan Doyle wrote his second Holmes mystery, The Sign of the Four , in 1890.

So successful were these novels, and the stories which followed, that Conan Doyle could afford to give up his medical practice and devote himself to writing full time.

The first Sherlock Holmes short story, A Scandal in Bohemia , appeared in The Strand Magazine in 1891, to be followed by two dozen more stories over the next several years.

The stories proved enormously successful, but Conan Doyle tired of his own creation, and in 1894 he killed Holmes off in The Final Problem .

He underestimated the popularity of his creation. So great was the hold that the character of Sherlock Holmes had taken on the public imagination that Conan Doyle found himself at the centre of a storm of controversy.

He was inundated with letters of protest, including one from a female reader who addressed him simply as "You Brute!". He bowed to the inevitable, and revived the character of Holmes, who appeared in numerous short stories over the next 23 years.

But Conan Doyle did not confine himself to Sherlock Holmes; he wrote several popular works of historic fiction, including Micah Clarke (1888), The White Company (1890), Rodney Stone (1896), and Sir Nigel (1906).

Conan Doyle served as a doctor in the Boer War, and on his return he wrote two books defending England's participation in that conflict. It was for these books that he received his knighthood in 1902.

After the death of his son in World War I, Conan Doyle became interested in spiritualism. He was convinced that it was possible to communicate with the dead, and his views led to a certain amount of ridicule from more mainstream society.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died on July 7, 1930, and is buried in the churchyard at Minstead, Hampshire. He can rightly be credited with helping create the literary genre of the detective story. Though Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin predates Sherlock Holmes, it was the Holmes' stories that solidified in the public mind what a good detective should be.

To Visit in Britain: 221B Baker Street, London - Sherlock Holmes Museum

Sherlock Holmes novels

A Study in Scarlet: 1887 The Sign of the Four: 1890 The Hound of the Baskervilles: 1902 The Valley of Fear: 1915

Sherlock Holmes short story collections

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: 1892 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes: 1894 The Return of Sherlock Holmes: 1905 His Last Bow: 1917 The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes: 1927

Other mystery novels

The Surgeon of Gaster Fell: 1885 The Mystery of Cloomber: 1889 The Doings of Raffles Haw: 1892

Other selected works

The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard (1896) Rodney Stone (1896) Uncle Bernac (1897) The Tragedy of the Korosko / A Desert Drama (1898) The Green Flag and Other Stories of War and Sport (1900) Adventures of Gerard (1903) Sir Nigel (1906) The Croxley Master (1907) Waterloo (1907) Round the Fire Stories (1908) Songs of the Road (1911) The Last Galley (1911) The Speckled Band (Play) (1912) The Lost World (1912) The Poison Belt (1913) Danger! and Other Stories (1918) The Land of Mist (1926)

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Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the creator Sherlock Holmes, the best-known detective in literature and the embodiment of scientific thinking. Doyle himself was not a good example of rational personality: he believed in fairies and was interested in occultism. Sherlock Holmes stories have been translated into more than fifty languages, and made into plays, films, radio and television series, a musical comedy, a ballet, cartoons, comic books, and advertisement. By 1920 Doyle was one of the most highly paid writers in the world.

Doyle was born on May 22, 1859 at Picardy Place, Edinburgh, as the son of Charles Altamont Doyle, a civil servant in the Edinburgh Office of Works, and Mary (Foley) Doyle. Both of Doyle’s parents were Roman Catholics. His father suffered from epilepsy and alcoholism and was eventually institutionalized. Charles Altamont died in an asylum in 1893. In the same year Doyle decided to finish permanently the adventures of his master detective. Because of financial problems, Doyle’s mother kept a boarding house. Dr. Tsukasa Kobayashi has suspected in an article, that Doyle’s mother had a long affair with Bryan Charles Waller, a lodger and a student of pathology, who had a deep impact to Conan Doyle.

Doyle was educated in Jesuit schools. He studied at Edinburgh University and in 1884 he married Louise Hawkins. Doyle qualified as doctor in 1885. After graduation Doyle practiced medicine as an eye specialist at Southsea near Porsmouth in Hampshire until 1891 when he became a full time writer.

First story about Holmes, A STUDY IN SCARLET , was published in 1887 in ‘Beeton Christmas Annual.’. The novel was written in three weeks in 1886. It introduced the detective and his associate and friend, Dr. Watson, and made famous Holmes’s address at Mrs. Hudson’s house, 221B Baker Street, London. Their major opponent was the malevolent Moriarty, the classic evil genius who was a kind of doppelgänger of Holmes. Also the beautiful opera singer Irene Adler caused much trouble to Holmes.

The second Sherlock Holmes story, THE SIGN OF FOUR , was written for the Lippincott’s Magazine in 1890. The story collects a colorful group of people together, among them Jonathan Small who has a wooden leg and a dwarf from Tonga islands. In the Strand Magazine started to appear ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.’

In 1893 Doyle was so wearied of his famous detective that he devised his death in the Final Problem (published in the Strand). In the story Holmes meets Moriarty at the fall of the Reichenbach in Switzerland and disappears. Watson finds a letter from Homes, stating “I have already explained to you, however, that my career had in any case reached its crisis, and that no possible conclusion to it could be more congenial to me than this.”

In THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES (1902) Doyle narrated an early case of the dead detective. The murder weapon in the story is an animal.

He was knighted (“Sir Arthur”) in 1902 for his work in Boer War propaganda (particularly the pamphlet The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct ) — and, some said, because of the publication of THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES .

Owing to public demand Doyle resurrected his popular hero in The Empty House (1903).

“I moved my head to look at the cabinet behind me. When I turned again Sherlock Holmes was standing smiling at me across my study table. I rose to my feet, stared at him for some seconds in utter amazement, and then it appears that I must have fainted for the first and last time in my life.” —(from ‘The Empty House’)

In these later stories Holmes stops using cocaine. Sherlock Holmes short stories were collected in five books. They first appeared in 1892 under the title THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES . The later were THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1894), THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1904), HIS LAST BOW (1917), and THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1927).

During the South African war (1899-1902) Doyle served for a few months as senior physician at a field hospital, and wrote THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA, in which he took the imperialistic view. In 1900 and 1906 he ran unsuccessfully for Parliament. Doyle was knighted in 1902. Fourteen months after his wife died, Conan Doyle married in 1907 his second wife, Jean Leckie. He dedicated himself in spiritualistic studies after the death of his son Kingsley from wounds incurred in World War I. An example of these is THE COMING OF FAIRIES, in which he supported the existence of “little people” and spent more than a million dollars on their cause. He also became president of several important spiritualist organizations.

Conan Doyle’s other publications include plays, verse, memoirs, short stories, and several historical novels and supernatural and speculative fiction. His stories of Professor George Edward Challenger in THE LOST WORLD and other adventures blended science fact with fantastic romance, and were very popular. The model for the professor was William Rutherford, Doyle’s teacher from Edinburgh. Doyle’s practice, and other experiences, seven months in the Arctic as ship’s doctor on a whaler, and three on a steamer bound to the West Coast of Africa, provided material for his writings.

Doyle died on July 7, 1930 from heart disease at his home, Windlesham, Sussex.

“My contention is that Sherlock Holmes is literature on a humble but not ignoble level, whereas the mystery writers most in vogue now are not. The old stories are literature, not because of the conjuring tricks and the puzzles, not because of the lively melodrama, which they have in common with many other detective stories, but the virtue of imagination and style. They are fairy-tales, as Conan Doyle intimated in his preface to his last collection, and they are among the most amusing of fairy-tales and not among the least distinguished.” —(Edmund Wilson in Classics and Commercials, 1950)

Selected works:

• A STUDY IN SCARLET , 1887
• THE MYSTERY OF CLOOMBER , 1889
• MICAH CLARCE, 1889
• THE FIRM OF GIRDLESTONE , 1889
• THE CAPTAIN OF THE POLESTAR AND OTHER TALES , 1890
• THE SIGN OF FOUR , 1890
• THE WHITE COMPANY, 1891
• THE DOINGS OF RAFLES HAW, 1891
• BEYOND THE CITY , 1892
• THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES , 1892
• THE REFUGEES, 1893
• JANE ANNIE, 1893 (with J.M. Barrie)
• MYSTERIES AND ADVENTURES, 1893
• THE GREAT SHADOW, 1893
• THE PARASITE, 1894
• THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES , 1894
• MY FRIEND THE MURDERER, 1894
• ROUND THE RED LAMP, 1894
• THE SURGEON OF GASTER FELL, 1895
• THE STARK MUNRO LETTERS , 1895
• RODNEY STONE, 1896
• UNCLE BERNAC, 1896
• THE EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERALD, 1896
• THE TRAGEDY OF THE KOROSKO, 1898
• SONGS OF ACTION, 1898
• A DUET: WITH AN OCCASIONAL CHORUS, 1899
• THE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL, 1899
• THE GREEN FLAG, 1900
• THE GREAT BOER WAR, 1900
• THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA: ITS CAUSE AND CONDUCT, 1902
• THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES , 1902
• THE ADVENTURES OF GERALD, 1903
• THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES , 1904
• SIR NIGEL, 1906
• BRIGADIER GERALD, 1906
• THE STORY OF MR. GEORGE EDALJI, 1907
• THROUGH THE MAGIC DOOR, 1907
• WATERLOO, 1907 (with W. Gillette)
• ROUND THE FIRE STORIES, 1908
• THE CROXLEY MASTER , 1909
• THE CRIME OF THE CONGO , 1909
• THE LAST GALLEY, 1910
• ONE CROWDED HOUR, 1911
• SONGS OF THE ROAD, 1911
• THE LOST WORLD , 1912
• THE CASE OF OSCAR SLATER, 1912
• THE SPECKLED BAND, 1912
• THE POISON BELT , 1913
• GREAT BRITAIN AND THE NEXT WAR, 1914
• TO ARMS!, 1914
• THE GERMAN WAR, 1914
• WESTERN WANDERINGS, 1915
• THE VALLEY OF FEAR , 1915
• A VISIT TO THREE FRONTS, 1916
• THE ORIGIN AND OUTBREAK OF THE WAR, 1916
• HIS LAST BOW , 1917
• DANGER! AND OTHER STORIES, 1918
• THE DEALINGS OF CAPTAIN SHARKEY , 1918
• THE NEW REVELATION, 1918
• THE VITAL MESSAGE, 1919
• OUR REPLY TO THE CLERIC, 1920
• A PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE TRUTH OF SPIRITUALISM, 1920 (with Joseph McCabe)
• THE GODS CAME THROUGH, 1920
• SPIRITUALISM AND RATIONALISM, 1920
• THE WANDERINGS OF A SPIRITUALIST, 1921
• THE EVIDENCE FOR FAIRIES, 1921
• FAIRIES PHOTOGRAPHED, 1921
• OUR AMERICAN ADVENTURE, 1921
• THE POEMS OF ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, 1922
• THE COMING OF THE FAIRIES, 1922 (with others)
• THE CASE FOR SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY, 1922
• OUR SECOND AMERICAN ADVENTURE, 1923
• THE LAST OF THE LEGIONS AND OTHER TALES OF LONG AGO, 1923
• THE THREE OF THEM, 1923
• TALES OF TERROR AND MYSTERY , 1923
• TALES OF THE RING AND CAMP, 1923
• THROUGH THE MAGIC DOOR, 1923
• TALES OF PIRATES AND BLUE WATERS, 1924
• TALES OF ADVENTURE AND MEDICAL LIFE, 1924
• TALES OF TWILIGHT AND THE UNSEEN, 1924
• MEMORIES AND ADVENTURES, 1924
• THE SPIRITUALISTS’ READER, 1924
• translation: THE MYSTERY OF JOAN OF ARC, 1924 (by D. Leon and J. Murray)
• PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES, 1925
• THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND MODERN SPIRITUALISM, 1925
• TALES OF LONG AGO, 1925
• IT’S TIME SOMETHING HAPPENED, 1925
• EXILE, 1925
• THE LAND OF THE MIST, 1926
• THE HISTORY OF SPIRITUALISM, 1926 (2 vols.)
• PHENEAS SPEAKS, 1927
• THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES , 1927
• THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES , 1927
• THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1928 (6 vols.)
• WHAT DOES SPIRITUALISM ACTUALLY TEACH AND STAND FOR, 1929
• THE MARACOT DEEP AND OTHER STORIES, 1929
• THE CONAN DOYLE STORIES, 1929
• AN OPEN LETTER TO THOSE OF MY GENERATION, 1929
• OUR AFRICAN WINTER, 1929
• THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1929
• WORKS, 1930 (24 vols.)
• THE EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN, 1930
• THE CONAN DOYLE HISTORICAL ROMANCES, 1931 (2 vols.)
• COMPLETE PROFESSOR CHALLENGER STORIES, 1952
• THE CROWN DIAMOND, 1958
• STRANGE STUDIES FROM LIFE, 1963
• THE ANNOTATED SHERLOCK HOLMES, 1967
• ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE ON SHERLOCK HOLMES, 1981
• UNCOLLECTED STORIES, 1982
• ESSAYS ON PHOTOGRAPHY, 1982
• LETTERS TO THE PRESS, 1986
• THE SHERLOCK HOLMES LETTERS, 1986

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Arthur Conan Doyle

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(1859–1930). A Scottish physician who turned to writing, Arthur Conan Doyle thought he would be remembered for his historical novels. His fame, however, rests on his creation of the master detective of fiction, the incomparable Sherlock Holmes. ( See also detective story .)

Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 22, 1859. He was the oldest son of Charles Doyle, a civil servant. His parents were Irish Roman Catholics, and he received his early education in a Jesuit school, Stonyhurst. Later he got a medical degree at Edinburgh University. He started practice as a family physician in Southsea, England. His income was small so he began writing stories to make ends meet. In 1891 he decided to give up medicine to concentrate on his writing.

A Study in Scarlet , published in 1887, introduced Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson. The second Holmes story was The Sign of Four (1890). In 1891 Doyle began a series for Strand magazine called “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”

Sherlock Holmes became known to movie and television audiences as a tall and lean, pipe-smoking, violin-playing detective. He lived at 221B Baker Street in London, where he was often visited by Watson, an associate in the many adventures. And according to Doyle, it was Watson who recorded the Holmes stories for posterity.

Doyle said he modeled Holmes after one of his teachers in Edinburgh, Dr. Joseph Bell. Bell could, for example, glance at a corpse on the anatomy table and deduce that the person had been a left-handed shoemaker. “It is all very well to say that a man is clever,” Doyle wrote, “but the reader wants to see examples of it—such examples as Bell gave us every day in the wards.” The author eventually became bored with Holmes and “killed” him. In response to readers’ protests, Doyle wrote his next story explaining how the detective had miraculously survived the death struggle on the edge of a precipice. Stories dealing with Holmes’s exploits continued to appear almost to the end of Doyle’s life.

Doyle was knighted in 1902 for his pamphlet justifying England’s part in the Boer War , in which he served at a field hospital. He was married twice. The death of his son Kingsley in World War I intensified Doyle’s interest in psychic phenomena; in his later years he wrote and lectured on spiritualism. He died in Sussex on July 7, 1930.

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Arthur Conan Doyle Biography

Born: May 22, 1859 Edinburgh, Scotland Died: July 6, 1930 Crowborough, Sussex, England Scottish author, surgeon, and ophthalmologist

Arenowned English author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best remembered as the creator of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

Doyle's youth, education, and early career

Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 22, 1859, into an Irish Roman Catholic family of noted artistic achievement. His mother, Mary Doyle, was a major influence in his life. She taught him to be a gentleman in his youth and as his writing career progressed she would give him ideas for his stories. His father, Charles, was an architect in Edinburgh, as well as an amateur artist. Together they had eight children.

As a boy, Arthur was educated at a Catholic preparatory school. After attending Stonyhurst College, he entered Edinburgh University as a medical student in 1876 and received a doctor of medicine degree in 1885. In his spare time, however, he began to write stories, which were published anonymously (without a name) in various magazines from 1878 to 1880.

After two long sea voyages as a ship's doctor, Doyle practiced medicine at Southsea, England, from 1882 to 1890. In 1885 he married Louise Hawkins and in March 1891 moved his young family to London, where he began to specialize in ophthalmology (the area of medicine involving the eye). His practice remained small, however, and since one of his anonymous stories, "Habakuk Jephson's Statement," had enjoyed considerable success when it appeared in the Cornhill Magazine in 1884, he began to dedicate himself seriously to writing.

Sherlock Holmes is introduced

Doyle's first novel, A Study in Scarlet, introduced Sherlock Holmes to the reading public. This was followed by two historical novels, Micah Clarke in 1889 and The White Company in 1891. The success of these works led Doyle to abandon medicine and launch his career as a writer.

The second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of the Four (1890), was followed by the Holmes short story, "A Scandal in Bohemia" (1891). The popularity of these tales made others like them a regular monthly feature of the Strand Magazine, and the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series was begun. Doyle eventually tired of these stories, and in "The Final Problem," published in December 1893, plunged Holmes and his enemy, Moriarty, to their apparent deaths in the falls of Reichenbach. Nine years later, however, he published a third Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, but dated the adventure before Holmes's "death." Then, in October 1903, Holmes achieved his mysterious comeback from death in "The Empty House" and thereafter appeared occasionally until 1927. All told, Doyle wrote fifty-six Sherlock Holmes stories and four novels. The Valley of Fear (1914) was the last.

Other early works

Among other works published early in Doyle's career were Beyond the City (1892), a short novel of modern city life; The Great Shadow (1892), a historical novel of the Napoleonic period; The Refugees (1893), a historical novel about French Huguenots; and The Stark Munro Letters (1894), an autobiographical (having to do with one's life) novel. In 1896 he issued one of his best-known historical novels, Rodney Stone, which was followed by another historical novel, Uncle Bernac (1897); a collection of poems, Songs of Action (1898); and two less popular novels, The Tragedy of Korosko (1898) and A Duet (1899).

Nonfiction and later career

After the outbreak of the Boer War (1899–1902; a war between the British and the northern natives or Boers of South Africa for control of the area, which the British won), Doyle served as chief, or head, surgeon of a field hospital at Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1900. His The Great Boer War (1900) was widely read and praised for its fairness to both sides. In 1902 he wrote a long booklet, The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct, to defend the British action in South Africa against widespread criticism by peace-minded groups. In August 1902 Doyle was knighted for his service to England.

Doyle published Sir Nigel (1906), a popular historical novel of the Middle Ages. His wife died this same year of tuberculosis (an infectious disease that affects the lungs); and in 1907 Doyle married Jean Leckie. Doyle now took up a number of political and charitable causes. In 1909 he wrote Divorce Law Reform, supporting equal rights for women in British law, and The Crime of the Congo, attacking the mistreatment of that colony by Belgium. In 1911 he published a second collection of poems, Songs of the Road, and in 1912 began a series of science fiction stories with the novel The Lost World, featuring another of his famous characters, Professor Challenger.

After the outbreak of World War I (1914–18; a war between the German-led Central Powers and the Allies: France, England, Italy, the United States, and other nations), Doyle organized the Civilian National Reserve against the threat of German invasion. In 1916 he published A Visit to Three Fronts and in 1918 again toured the front lines. These tours, plus extensive communication with a number of officers, enabled him to write his famous account The British Campaigns in France and Flanders, published in six volumes (1916–1919).

Later life and spiritualism

Doyle had been interested in spiritualism (the belief in the ability for the living to communicate with the dead) since he rejected his Roman Catholic faith in 1880. In 1915 he experienced a new belief in "psychic religion," or spiritualism, so that after the war he devoted the rest of his life and career to spreading his new faith in a series of works: The New Revelation (1918), The Vital Message (1919), The Wanderings of a Spiritualist (1921), and History of Spiritualism (1926). After travelling for years to promote this cause, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died on July 6, 1930, of a heart attack, at his home in Crowborough, Sussex.

For More Information

Booth, Martin. The Doctor and the Detective. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2000.

Hardwick, Mollie. The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1964.

Pascal, Janet B. Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Baker Street. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

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Conan Doyle Info

The life and work of sir arthur conan doyle.

• List of Sherlock Holmes Fiction
• Sherlock Holmes and Cocaine
• The Death of Sherlock Holmes
• 221B Baker Street
• Characters in the World of Sherlock Holmes
• Professor James Moriarty
• Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Joseph Bell
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• Sherlock Holmes Quotes

Arthur Conan Doyle Biography

• Conan Doyle’s Marriages
• Mary Foley Doyle, Conan Doyle’s Mother
• Charles Altamont Doyle, Conan Doyle’s Father
• James M. Barrie
• Arthur Conan Doyle and Spiritualism
• Arthur Conan Doyle and George Budd
• Dr. Conan Doyle – Ship’s Surgeon
• Conan Doyle, George Bernard Shaw and the Titanic
• The Oscar Slater Case
• George Edalji and Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Knighting of Arthur Conan Doyle
• Conan Doyle and World War One
• Skiing at Davos
• Conan Doyle Daily Quote
• Random Quote
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• Search for Quotes
• Ask Sherlock Holmes
• Concentration
• Shelock Holmes Picture Scramble
• Sherlock Holmes Crossword Puzzle
• Sherlock Holmes Title Game
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Quiz
• The Lost World Quiz
• Conan Doyle’s Other Work of Fiction
• J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement
• The Crime of the Congo
• The Lost World
• The White Company
• The Stark Munro Letters

Last Updated June 16, 2023 – Originally published June 24,2015

1859 – Conan Doyle is born on May 22 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Charles and Mary Doyle.

1868 – Conan Doyle is sent to Jesuit boarding school in England.

1876   – Charles Doyle enters a nursing facility to receive treatment for his alcoholism.  Conan Doyle attends the University of Edinburgh Medical School where he meets Dr. Joseph Bell , the person who inspired the character of Sherlock Holmes .

Joseph Bell – Inspiration for Sherlock Holmes

1879   – Conan Doyle’s work is published for the first time . The story is The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley .

1880 – He serves as ship’s surgeon on the Greenland whaler Hope.

1881  – A Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery are awarded to Conan Doyle.    He leaves from Liverpool to serve as shipboard medical officer on the steamer Mayumba.

1882 – Conan Doyle leaves for Portsmouth to establish his own medical practice.

1883 – He joins the Portsmouth Literary and Scientific Society.

1884 – J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement is published.

1885 – On August 5th, Conan Doyle marries Louise “Toulie” Hawkins .

1887 – A Study in Scarlet , the first Sherlock Holmes story, is published.

1889 – Mary, the first child of Conan Doyle, is born. Micah Clarke is published.

1890 – The Sign of Four is published.

1891 – Conan Doyle gives up his medical practice in favor of writing. The White Company is published.

1892 – Louise gives birth to Arthur Allyne Kingsley.  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is published.

1893 – Conan Doyle visits Reichenbach Falls. Louise is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Conan Doyle’s father, Charles , dies. Conan Doyle takes Louise to Switzerland because of her health. Conan Doyle joins the British Society for Psychical Research. The Adventure of the Final Problem is published.

1894 – The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is published. Conan Doyle goes on a lecture tour of the United States.

1895 – Visits Egypt

1896 – Conan Doyle and family move back to England.

1897 – Conan Doyle meets Jean Leckie, the woman who would later become his second wife .

1899 – A Duet with an Occasional Chorus is published.

1900 – Serves in the Boer War.

1901 – The Hound of the Baskervilles is published in The Strand magazine.

1902 – The War in South Africa: Its Causes and Conduct is published.  Conan Doyle is knighted for this publication.

1904 – Conan Doyle is made a member of the Crimes Club. The Return of Sherlock Holmes is published.

1905 – Sir Nigel is published.

1906 – Louise dies at the age of forty-nine. Conan Doyle begins the investigation of the George Edalji case .

1907 – Conan Doyle marries Jean Leckie .

1909 – Denis Percy Stewart Conan Doyle is born to Jean and Arthur. Conan Doyle writes The Crime of the Congo .

Oscar Slater in 1908

1910 – Conan Doyle becomes involved in the Oscar Slater case . Adrian Malcom is born to Jean and Arthur.

1911 – Conan Doyle and Jean take part in the Prince Henry Tour .

1912 – The Lost World is published. Lena Jean Annette is born to Jean and Arthur. Conan Doyle argues with George Bernard Shaw about the Titanic .

1913 – The Poison Belt is published.

1914 – Conan Doyle visits the United States.

1915 – The Valley of Fear is published in book form.

1916 – Conan Doyle declares his belief in Spiritualism in the Light magazine.

1917 – Conan Doyle speaks publicly on Spiritualism for the first time. His Last Bow is published.

1918 – His son, Kingsley, dies. His brother, Innes, also dies.

“My Two Sweethearts”—Houdini with his mother and wife around 1907

1920 – Conan Doyle writes about the Cottingley fairies in the December issue of The Strand .  Conan Doyle meets Houdini .

1921 – Jean Conan Doyle discovers that she has the ability to do automatic writing.

1922 – The Coming of the Fairies is published. Jean Conan Doyle attempts to contact Houdini’s mother.

1925 – The Lost World is made into a film. The Land of Mist is published.

1926 – History of Spiritualism is published.

1927 – The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes is published.

1928 – Conan Doyle launches a five-month tour of Africa.

1930 – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dies on July 7. They bury him at the rose garden in Windlesham.

Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, most famed for his four novels and fifty-six short stories about the "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes, was born on May 22, 1859 in Edinburgh to a Catholic family of ten. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was an architect and an artist. Unfortunately, his talents were shadowed by alcoholism and epilepsy. He eventually died in an asylum where he was institutionalized. As a result, the family suffered financially, though Arthur Conan Doyle's mother, Mary, was able to pay for his schooling at a Jesuit institution.

Doyle decided to pursue medical studies at Edinburgh University, and had to take a job as a doctor's assistant to pay for his school fees. He was already writing and publishing stories by this time, but he set up a practice in Southsea in the early 1880s. During this period, he completed the first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet , which was published in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887. Sherlock Holmes was modeled after Doyle's university professor, Joseph Bell, whom he greatly admired. Doyle wrote to Bell, "It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes. ... [R]ound the centre of deduction and inference and observation which I have heard you inculcate I have tried to build up a man."

However, there was also much of Doyle himself in the character of Sherlock Holmes, as Bell once remarked. Doyle is known to have been analytical, attentive to detail, methodical (though occasionally absentminded and clumsy), imaginative, and reserved. He even solved a mystery of a missing person in 1907 in only one hour's time. This case involved a countrywoman who was afraid that her cousin had been murdered; Doyle deduced from the man's bank records, however, that he had simply gone to Scotland.

In Doyle's two autobiographical works, The Stark Munro Letters and Memories and Adventures , he performed little analysis of either his own personality or spiritual problems. Like Holmes, then, Doyle concealed his personal self. Similar to Holmes, too, Doyle was known as an energetic and prodigious person, who also would disappear into his study for days. As his son, Adrian, remarked: "My memories as a youth are mottled with sudden, silent periods when, following some agitated stranger, or missive, my father would disappear into his study for two or three days on end."

Doyle published other historical works as he endeavored to write serious, "better things." However, he took advantage of the up-and-coming Strand Magazine (1891) by publishing short stories there for financial gain. The Holmes short stories that he contributed became very popular with the reading public. The editor of the magazine, George Newnes, was committed to high-quality production and plenty of illustrations, including the memorable visual image of Sherlock Holmes designed by Sidney Paget.

The popularity of the Holmes stories secured Doyle financial comfort and fame, but he soon tired of his hero and killed him off in The Final Problem (1893). However, he later returned to stories about his hero when the public clamor proved too difficult to ignore. All the while, though, Doyle wrote other works and took a post as a war correspondent in Egypt; supported the British management of the Boer War; he oversaw a field hospital in South Africa; and he was knighted in 1902. In 1902, Doyle penned one of his most famous Sherlock Holmes works, The Hound of the Baskervilles .

In 1912, Doyle wrote one of his other most enduring works, The Lost World . This science fiction tale centered on the character Professor Challenger's journey to the Amazon, where he discovered a place in which dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts still survived.

During World War I, Doyle became immensely interested in spiritualism, and he wrote many works on the subject. This new focus of his produced much criticism, especially regarding his support for the photographs of the Cottingley Fairies. Throughout this time, he continued to write poetry, short stories, pamphlets, and adventure novels. Some of his work dealt with humanitarian causes, such as The Crime of the Congo (1909), which excoriated the brutality of the Belgians in the Congo.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died on July 7, 1930 of a heart attack; he was 71 years old. He was married twice; his first wife Louise died from tuberculosis in 1906, and his second wife Jean survived him. He had five children in total. He was buried in an anonymous grave in unconsecrated ground outside a churchyard fence, on account of his avowedly Spiritualist religious beliefs. The graveyard was later extended and now contains his grave; there are still no public headstones, however.

Study Guides on Works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The adventure of the yellow face sir arthur conan doyle.

The Adventure of the Yellow Face is an 1893 short story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and featuring the characters Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. The story was initially written as a commission for Strand Magazine , with original...

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of stories relating to the infamous character Sherlock Holmes, a notable detective who investigates various mysteries and crime set in the 1900s. George Newness publishing company first published...

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The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes contains twelve stories written about the legendary consulting detective by his creator Arthur Conan Doyle. Like all the other Sherlock Holmes adventures, these stories were originally published in the Strand...

His Last Bow Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

His Last Bow is a Sherlock Holmes adventure published by Arthur Conan Doyle in England inside the September 1917 edition of the Strand Magazine by Colliers Magazine in the United States. Although considered part of the official canon, the story...

The Hound of the Baskervilles Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles was written in 1901, eight years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had already 'killed off' Sherlock Holmes in his story, "The Final Problem." However, the novel was not a sequel - the events of The Hound of the...

How It Happened Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Few know Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work outside of his most famous character: Sherlock Holmes. But Doyle was a prolific writer who crafted some of the best short stories in existence. One such short story is called "How It Happened," which was...

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes was initially published in 1894 after each of the individual stories contained within had appeared separately in The Strand magazine. This collection was the follow-up to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes which...

The Return of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Return of Sherlock Holmes almost quite literally begins with Dr. John Watson practically being assaulted by an “elderly, deformed man…with sharp, wizened face peering out from a frame of white hair.” In any other story, his constant companion,...

The Sign of the Four Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of the Four is a novel starring the characters Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it in 1889 after Joseph M Stoddart, the managing editor of Lippincott’s Monthly , commissioned the story. Lippincott’s was an...

A Study in Scarlet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet was written in 1886 and published in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887 by Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle was rejected three times by publishers; Ward, Lock, and Company finally accepted it in 1886 with the caveat of it delaying...

The Valley of Fear Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle published The Valley of Fear in serial form in Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915. A book form followed the British serialization in 1915. The manuscript, 176 folio pages with Doyle’s deletions and revisions,...

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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Writer and physician, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his books about the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes…

Jessica Brain

“Elementary, my dear Watson.”

A famous line taken from the film adaptation of one of a series of novels about the fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson. These books would earn Sir Arthur Conan Doyle critical acclaim and make a permanent impact on the genre of crime fiction.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a prolific writer producing a huge body of work in his lifetime, covering a variety of genres ranging from crime, history, science fiction and even poetry.

Whilst his literary prowess would earn him great admiration and popularity, he initially embarked upon a career as a qualified physician and proved himself capable in a variety of different fields.

His life began in Edinburgh , born in May 1859 into an affluent Irish Catholic family, one of eight children. His mother would become an important influence in his life whilst his father sadly battled psychological problems and alcoholism which led to his premature death.

Meanwhile, young Arthur would be sent away for his education to a Jesuit preparatory school called Stonyhurst College in Lancashire. He would go on to study for a year at another Jesuit school in Austria in order to build on his German language skills.

In 1876 Arthur went on to further education and entered the University of Edinburgh in order to study medicine. His training as a physician did not hinder his pursuits of other passions, particularly writing which he continued to keep up throughout his studies and even produced a series of short stories.

His first accepted publication was a story published in an Edinburgh Journal entitled, “The Mystery of Sasassa Valley”. Meanwhile, back in the field of medicine, he also had his first academic paper published by the British Medical Journal.

After completing his Bachelor of Medicine as well as Master of Surgery in 1881 Doyle worked on board the SS Mayumba as a ship’s surgeon. The journey would take him as far as the West African coast.

After completing this voyage, Doyle returned to England and set up his first medical practice which sadly did not prove as successful as he had hoped. This failure did however allow Doyle more time for his writing while he waited for his medical career to take off.

In 1885, Arthur expanded his qualifications further by acquiring a Doctor of Medicine and a few years later he embarked on a trip to Vienna in order to broaden his knowledge of ophthalmology.

Around this time he also married Louisa Hawkins and went on to have two children called Mary and Kingsley.

After spending time with his wife in Austria and subsequently visiting Venice, Milan and Paris he returned to London and set up a practice in Wimpole Street. Sadly for Doyle his efforts to become an ophthalmologist failed, however his medical background would soon prove to be invaluable as he turned to writing fiction and created a character whose exacting capability for identifying the minutest details through reasoning and deduction would become an instant hit.

One of the first appearances of the beloved character of Sherlock Holmes was in “A Study in Scarlet” which was thought to have been written in only three weeks. After initially struggling to find a publisher, his piece was printed and subsequently received favourable reviews from the press. In November 1886 it was accepted by the publisher Ward Lock and Co, later appearing the following year in Beeton’s Christmas Annual of 1887.

The creation of Sherlock Holmes and his acumen for observation and deduction was said to have been inspired by Doyle’s university professor Joseph Bell whose exacting approach to medicine was well-known.

With the first publication proving popular, a sequel was soon in the works and appeared in February 1890 in Lippincott’s Magazine. “The Sign of the Four” was printed and would be followed by several short stories published by the Strand Magazine.

Despite Sherlock Holmes becoming an instant hit, Doyle was not so sure about the protagonist and in a correspondence to his mother in 1891 he spoke of “slaying Holmes”, to which she replied, “You can’t!” Wanting to write about other characters Doyle began to demand more money for Holmes stories in a bid to discourage publishers. This plan did not however have the desired effect as the publications were willing to pay the higher amounts.

As his fiscal demands were met by publishers, the demand for Sherlock Holmes would soon make Conan Doyle one of the wealthiest authors of his time.

Nevertheless, by December 1893 he would make the decision to write Holmes and Professor Moriarty out of the stories as they plunged to their deaths in “The Final Problem” in order to focus on his other literary projects.

This decision did not however sit well with the general public and eventually Conan Doyle was forced to revive Sherlock Holmes in the 1901 novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.

The story would prove immensely popular and one of the most enduring of his creations as it continues to be chosen for television and film purposes decades later.

Conan Doyle had not written about Sherlock Holmes since his character’s demise eight years earlier. It was subsequently published in a serialised form for the Strand Magazine and would pave the way for sequels of Sherlock Holmes who had by now gained such a following that Conan Doyle could not retire the character for fear of further public backlash.

He embarked on the story not long after returning from South Africa where he had been working as a doctor in Bloemfontein during the Second Boer War.

During his time in South Africa he had written non-fiction pieces relating to his time spent working as a physician, with one book entitled, “The Great Boer War” and another shorter piece arguing in favour of what he believed to be the justification for the war. This was not the only non-fiction piece to be written by Conan Doyle as he took interest in a variety of subjects and remained politically active during his lifetime, even standing for Parliament twice in 1900 and again in 1906 as a Liberal Unionist.

In 1902, he was knighted by King Edward VII in recognition for his efforts in South Africa.

Back in his literary world, the following year the short story “The Adventure of the Empty House” was published, explaining the supposed death of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty. This would become one of fifty-six short stories dedicated to the Holmes character, the last of which was published in 1927.

Whilst Doyle remained preoccupied with his most popular protagonist, his own personal interests for non-fiction would be explored in a variety of texts. After covering the events in South Africa, he wrote in favour of the campaign for reforming the Congo Free State which outlined the Belgian atrocities committed during Leopold II’s reign. His book on the subject was published in 1909, entitled, “The Crime of the Congo”.

Moreover, Conan Doyle’s interests extended to the justice system, leading to his involvement in two criminal cases, one relating to a half-Indian lawyer called George Edalji and another of a German Jew called Oscar Slater. His involvement in both cases would lead both men to be subsequently exonerated for their accused crimes.

Meanwhile, Arthur Conan Doyle would suffer a tragedy closer to home when his wife Louisa passed away from tuberculosis. A year later he married Jean Leckie whom he had known for some time and they went on to have three children together.

Conan Doyle would continue to produce a wealth of literature in his lifetime covering a wide variety of genres. He accumulated a body of non-fiction work ranging from semi-autobiographical novels such as “The Firm of Girldestone” to the historical fiction of “The White Company” depicting medieval chivalry.

Whilst Doyle came to be identified with his most famous character Sherlock Holmes, his own far ranging passions and beliefs would filter through his work and contribute to our understanding of this complex polymath.

One such topic with which he became very closely associated was the supernatural. Somewhat contradictory to the logical calculations of Holmes, his paranormal interests would remain with him through much of his life as he gained comfort and understanding from spiritual belief systems. So much so, that in the latter years of his life he embarked on spiritual missionary work which took him as far as Australia and New Zealand. By 1926, he had contributed to the founding of the Spiritualist Temple based in Camden, London.

After finding solace and meaning in his spiritualist work and completing a portfolio of literature that stood the test of time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle passed away in July 1930 from a heart attack.

During his lifetime, he had produced an extensive catalogue of literature, demonstrating himself to be adept in many genres, whilst it was his “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes which would earn him critical acclaim and worldwide recognition.

Sherlock Holmes has become one of the defining characters of criminal fiction and is as popular now as when he first appeared.

Arthur Conan Doyle proved himself capable not only as a doctor, public figure, journalist and author but as an observer of the human psyche, able to create characters that would intrigue readers and continue to be cherished for years to come.

Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history. Based in Kent and a lover of all things historical.

Published: 27th September 2021

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11 Fascinating Facts About Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes , led a robust life worthy of the pages of his fiction. He embarked on daring journeys to the Arctic and the Alps, investigated crimes and—though his most famous character is the paragon of rational thinking—staunchly believed in fairies and spirits. Here are 11 facts about this fascinating, complicated author.

1. Arthur Conan Doyle grew up in poverty.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859, Conan Doyle was the second of seven surviving children. His father, the artist Charles Doyle , struggled with alcoholism and even stole from his children’s money boxes to fund his addiction. The family’s finances were chronically strained: “We lived in the hardy and bracing atmosphere of poverty,” Conan Doyle wrote in his autobiography. Charles was ultimately committed to an asylum due to his erratic behavior [ PDF ].

Throughout this domestic turbulence, the author’s mother, Mary Foley Doyle, was a stabilizing force. Conan Doyle credited her with kindling his imagination and flair for storytelling. "In my early childhood, as far as I can remember anything at all, the vivid stories which she would tell me stand out so clearly that they obscure the real facts of my life,” he recalled . “I am sure, looking back, that it was in attempting to emulate these stories of my childhood that I first began weaving dreams myself."

2. Arthur Conan Doyle trained as a medical doctor.

When he was 17 years old, Conan Doyle began his studies at the University of Edinburgh’s medical school, graduating with Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees in 1881. Four years later, he completed his thesis on tabes dorsalis , a degenerative neurological disease, and earned his M.D. He later traveled to Vienna to study ophthalmology [ PDF ].

Conan Doyle established a medical practice in the English city of Portsmouth, where he also wrote his first two Sherlock Holmes novels: A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four . Holmes was based in part on one of his professors at medical school, Dr. Joseph Bell, known for his ability to deduce facts about his patients through close observation.

In 1891, Conan Doyle relocated to London to work as an ophthalmologist. The venture was not a resounding success; he would later joke that his rented offices had two waiting rooms: “I waited in the consulting room, and no one waited in the waiting room.” But that left Conan Doyle with ample time to devote to his budding literary career. He soon gave up medicine in favor of writing—a decision that he called “one of the great moments of exultation” in his life.

3. Arthur Conan Doyle traveled to the Arctic on a whaling expedition.

While in the midst of his medical studies, Conan Doyle accepted a position as a ship’s surgeon on a whaler headed to the Arctic Circle. A hardy young man with an adventurous spirit, he joined his shipmates in hunting seals, not at all deterred by his lack of experience on the ice and frequent tumbles into the freezing waters. Conan Doyle did have some qualms about the slaughter, writing that “those glaring crimson pools upon the dazzling white of the ice fields … did seem a horrible intrusion.” Nevertheless, he found the journey—particularly the whale hunts—exhilarating. “No man who has not experienced it,” Conan Doyle opined , “can imagine the intense excitement of whale fishing.”

4. Arthur Conan Doyle got sick of Sherlock Holmes.

The popularity of Sherlock Holmes skyrocketed after Conan Doyle struck a deal with the Strand Magazine to publish a series of short stories featuring the mastermind detective. Readers would line up at newsagents on the days that new issues dropped, and Conan Doyle eventually became one of the highest-paid writers of his day. But he grew exasperated by the public’s love for Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle also wrote historical novels, plays, and poetry, and he felt that his detective fiction overshadowed these other, more serious works. “I have had such an overdose of [Holmes] that I feel towards him as I do towards pâté de foie gras, of which I once ate too much, so that the name of it gives me a sickly feeling to this day," the author quipped .

In the 1893 story “The Final Problem,” Conan Doyle killed off Holmes, sending him plunging to his death over the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Fans were devastated; more than 20,000 of them canceled their subscriptions to the Strand in protest. Conan Doyle did not publish another Holmes story for eight years, ending his strike with The Hound of the Baskervilles , which takes place before Holmes’s death. In 1903, prompted by a tremendous offer from British and American publishers, Conan Doyle decided to resurrect his much-loved sleuth. Over the course of his career, he featured Holmes in 56 stories and four novels—now known to fans as the “ Canon .”

5. Arthur Conan Doyle helped popularize Switzerland as a skiing destination.

In 1893, Conan Doyle’s first wife, Louisa, was diagnosed with tuberculosis . The couple decided to head to Davos, in the Swiss Alps, hoping that the crisp, clear air would be beneficial to Louisa. Her health did improve, for a time, and Conan Doyle decided to take up skiing , a Norwegian sport that was new to Switzerland and virtually unknown in Britain. He wrote a humorous article in the Strand about his attempts to master skiing and his daring journey over the Furka Pass , which soars 8000 feet above sea level. The article was republished multiple times and drew attention to the Swiss Alps as a skiing destination. Today, a plaque in Davos honors Conan Doyle for “bringing this new sport and the attractions of the Swiss Alps in winter to the world.”

6. Arthur Conan Doyle believed it was possible to communicate with the dead.

Conan Doyle began exploring mystical ideas about spirits and the afterlife as a young doctor. In later life, he became one of the world’s most prominent advocates of Spiritualism, a movement rooted in the belief that the souls of the dead can communicate with the living, usually through a medium. Spiritualism took root in Britain during the Victorian era and continued to flourish in the years after WWI, when many families were eager to connect with lost loved ones. Conan Doyle’s own brother and son died during the influenza pandemic that swept the world in the wake of the Great War, and the author believed that they reached out to him during séances.

He wrote books on Spiritualism, debated the subject with skeptics and traveled the world delivering lectures on the Spiritualist cause, which he described as the “most important thing in the world, and the particular thing which the human race in its present state of development needs more than anything else.”

7. Arthur Conan Doyle also believed in fairies.

In 1920, a pair of startling photographs came to Conan Doyle’s attention. The images appeared to show two schoolgirls, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, posing with fairies by a stream in the English village of Cottingley. After conducting what he believed to be a thorough investigation, Conan Doyle became convinced that the photographs were genuine, and wrote two articles and a book on the “ Cottingley Fairies .” With a renowned author championing them, the photos became a sensation. Conan Doyle was widely ridiculed by those who believed the images were fake, but he remained steadfast; he hoped that the photographs would propel an incredulous public to “admit that there is a glamour and mystery to life” and, by extension, to accept the “spiritual message” that he worked tirelessly to promote.

In 1983, Wright and Griffiths finally confessed that the photographs were a hoax. The “fairies” were simply paper cutouts, copied from a children’s book, and propped up with hat pins. They had only meant to trick their parents; Wright later said that she and Griffiths were too embarrassed to admit the truth once their story was believed by the famous Conan Doyle.

8. Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle had a fraught friendship.

Conan Doyle met Harry Houdini in 1920, while the famed magician was visiting England. They bonded over Spiritualism; Houdini, though fairly certain that mediums were tricksters and frauds, was at that time willing to be convinced otherwise. For his part, Conan Doyle believed that Houdini possessed psychic powers.

When Conan Doyle traveled to America in 1922, the friends met up in Atlantic City. Houdini agreed to participate in a séance with Conan Doyle and his second wife, Jean, who claimed she could channel the spirits of the dead. But Houdini quickly came to suspect that the séance was a sham. Jean filled multiple pages with automatic writing that she said came from Houdini’s deceased mother—though his mother could barely speak English. Houdini also found it curious that Jean’s automatic writing included the sign of a cross, considering that his mother was Jewish. The episode caused a rift between the friends, and they argued both privately and publicly over the legitimacy of medium cases.

9. Arthur Conan Doyle was knighted for his support of the Boer War.

Fueled by a sense of patriotism after the outbreak of the Second Boer War , Conan Doyle traveled to Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1900 to volunteer as a doctor in a field hospital. There he encountered a grim scene; Bloemfontein was in the grips of a typhoid epidemic, the hospital was overwhelmed with sick and dying patients, and sanitary conditions were abysmal [ PDF ]. But his conviction in the war did not flag, even as the conflict dragged on, became increasingly brutal , and began to lose support in Britain and beyond. Indignant over reports of British atrocities, Conan Doyle published a pamphlet defending his country’s actions in South Africa. He was knighted by King Edward VII in 1902, largely in honor of this influential work.

10. Arthur Conan Doyle came to the defense of two wrongfully accused men.

In 1903, a solicitor named George Edalji was found guilty of mutilating a horse and writing a series of menacing anonymous letters in a rural parish. The evidence against him was unconvincing—the letters had been sent to his own family, for one thing—and three years later he was released from prison, without a pardon. Edalji wrote to Conan Doyle, hoping the creator of Sherlock Holmes would help clear his name. Conan Doyle visited the scene of the crimes , met with Edalji, and was certain of his innocence .

He noted, among other things, that Edalji was so near-sighted that it would have been impossible for him to sneak across the countryside, attacking livestock in the dead of night. And he recognized that racial prejudice was likely at play; Edalji, whose father was of Parsee origin, “must assuredly have [seemed] a very queer man to the eyes of an English village,” the author wrote in an article arguing that Edalji had been wrongfully accused. Conan Doyle also sent a barrage of letters to the chief constable in charge of the case, proffering new evidence and theories of other suspects. Edalji was ultimately pardoned , but was not given financial compensation for the miscarriage of justice against him.

Conan Doyle also campaigned on behalf of Oscar Slater, a German-Jewish bookmaker who was convicted of murdering a wealthy woman in Glasgow. Though Slater had an alibi , police homed in on him as the culprit, and it would later emerge that key evidence was withheld during the trial. Conan Doyle was a vocal participant in the campaign advocating for Slater’s release from prison; in 1912, he published The Case of Oscar Slater , which highlighted grave flaws in the investigation and prosecution. His plea failed to sway the authorities, but Conan Doyle continued to pressure politicians and even pay for Slater’s legal fees . Slater was set free in 1927, having served more than 18 years in prison.

11. Family members celebrated at Arthur Conan Doyle’s funeral.

Conan Doyle died of a heart attack on July 7, 1930, at the age of 71. Three hundred people attended the funeral at his country home, and the atmosphere was uplifting, rather than somber. The mourners did not wear black and the blinds of the house were not drawn. “We know that it is only the natural body that we are committing to the ground,” his wife Jean told friends. On July 13, thousands of people packed into the Royal Albert Hall in London for a memorial service. During the ceremony, Estelle Roberts, one of Conan Doyle’s favorite mediums, gazed at a chair reserved for the writer and proclaimed : “He is here.”

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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography and Works

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Why is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle important?,How many books did Arthur Conan Doyle write?,where was arthur conan doyle born,arthur conan doyle familySir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, a name synonymous with mystery, detective fiction, and the indomitable Sherlock Holmes, stands as a towering figure in Scottish literature. Born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Conan Doyle’s influence reaches far beyond his iconic detective stories.S ir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography and Works

Early Life and Education:

Conan Doyle hailed from an artistic Catholic family, with his father, Charles Altamont Doyle, being an artist, and his mother, Mary Foley, a vibrant storyteller. Despite financial struggles, young Arthur’s imagination thrived on the tales of chivalry spun by his mother. Educated at the Jesuit preparatory school Stonyhurst College, Conan Doyle later pursued medicine at the University of Edinburgh. His experiences at medical school significantly influenced his creation of the rational and analytical character, Sherlock Holmes.

Medical Career and Writing Beginnings:

After a brief stint as a ship’s surgeon that took him to West Africa and the Arctic Circle, Conan Doyle returned to Edinburgh to establish a medical practice. However, his love for storytelling soon eclipsed his medical career. Early attempts at writing involved contributing short stories to various magazines. In 1887, Conan Doyle achieved literary success with the publication of “A Study in Scarlet,” introducing the world to Sherlock Holmes.

The Sherlock Holmes Phenomenon:

Sherlock Holmes, with his razor-sharp powers of observation and deductive reasoning, became a global literary sensation. The serialization of Holmes’ adventures in The Strand Magazine propelled Conan Doyle to literary stardom. Despite reservations about being exclusively associated with Holmes, Conan Doyle continued to pen stories, including the celebrated novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1902). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography and Works

Literary Diversity and Exploits:

Conan Doyle’s literary repertoire expanded beyond detective fiction. He delved into historical novels, science fiction, and adventure tales. Works like “Micah Clarke” (1889) and “The White Company” (1891) showcased his storytelling prowess in historical settings.

The Professor Challenger series, commencing with “The Lost World” (1912), ventured into science fiction, exploring the adventures of the brilliant and eccentric scientist. Conan Doyle’s interest in spiritualism found expression in works like “The Land of Mist” (1926), reflecting the early 20th-century fascination with the supernatural.

Military Service and World War I:

As World War I erupted, Conan Doyle, despite being in his fifties, volunteered for military service. Serving as a major in the Royal Army Medical Corps and later as a lieutenant colonel in the War Office, his experiences during the war, including the loss of his son, profoundly influenced him and impacted his later works.

Personal Life:

Conan Doyle’s personal life was marked by both tragedy and triumph. His marriage to Louisa Hawkins in 1885 resulted in two children, but tragedy struck when Louisa died of tuberculosis in 1906. Devastated, Conan Doyle remarried Jean Leckie in 1907, and the couple had three children, bringing a new chapter of happiness to his life.

Spiritualism and Controversies:

Conan Doyle’s interest in spiritualism intensified after the death of his son Kingsley in World War I. He became an advocate, attending seances and endorsing mediums. This interest led to controversies, with skeptics challenging his scientific background and credibility.

Later Years and Legacy:

In the later years of his life, Conan Doyle continued to write and engage in public debates. Knighted in 1902 for his contributions to literature, he passed away on July 7, 1930, at the age of 71. His legacy endures through his diverse literary contributions, with Sherlock Holmes remaining a cultural phenomenon and a symbol of detective fiction.

Major Works

• “A Study in Scarlet” (1887): The debut novel introducing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, setting the stage for a series of detective stories.
• “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” (1892): A collection of short stories featuring Holmes and Watson, including classics like “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” and “The Red-Headed League.”
• “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1902): A standalone novel often considered one of the greatest detective stories, where Holmes investigates a legendary hound on the moors.
• “The Return of Sherlock Holmes” (1905): Another collection of short stories, marking Holmes’ return after his presumed death at the Reichenbach Falls.
• “Micah Clarke” (1889): A historical adventure novel set during the Monmouth Rebellion in the 17th century.
• “The White Company” (1891): A historical adventure set during the Hundred Years’ War, showcasing the exploits of a free company of archers.
• “The Lost World” (1912): A pioneering science fiction novel introducing Professor Challenger, who leads an expedition to a remote plateau where prehistoric creatures still exist.
• “Sir Nigel” (1906): A novel set during the Hundred Years’ War, following the adventures of Nigel Loring, a young squire.
• “The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard” (1896): A collection of short stories narrated by Brigadier Gerard, a Hussar officer during the Napoleonic Wars.
• “The Poison Belt” (1913): A science fiction novel featuring Professor Challenger and his colleagues, exploring the apocalyptic consequences of Earth passing through a belt of poisonous ether.
• “The Land of Mist” (1926): A novel delving into spiritualism and the supernatural, reflecting Conan Doyle’s personal interest in these themes.

Writing Style

• Conan Doyle’s writing style is marked by clarity and precision. His narratives are easy to follow, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the intricacies of the plot without unnecessary complexity.
• Conan Doyle excels in character development, particularly in the Sherlock Holmes series. The characters, especially Holmes and Watson, are vividly portrayed with distinct personalities, quirks, and evolving relationships.
• The author pays meticulous attention to detail, whether describing crime scenes, historical settings, or scientific concepts. This attention to detail enhances the realism of his stories and contributes to the immersive experience for the reader.
• Many of Conan Doyle’s works, especially the Sherlock Holmes series, utilize a first-person narrative, often through the perspective of Dr. John Watson. This choice allows readers to view the detective’s genius through the eyes of a close confidant.
• Conan Doyle’s versatility is evident in his exploration of various genres, from detective fiction to historical novels, science fiction, and spiritualism. His ability to adapt his writing style to suit different themes showcases his literary prowess.
• Dialogues in Conan Doyle’s works, especially those involving Sherlock Holmes, are notable for their wit and intelligence. Holmes’ deductive reasoning and sharp repartees contribute to the enduring appeal of the characters.
• Conan Doyle is adept at constructing engaging and intricate plots. The mysteries in the Sherlock Holmes stories, in particular, are carefully crafted, with twists and turns that keep readers captivated until the resolution.
• Beyond the surface-level mysteries, Conan Doyle’s works often explore deeper themes, such as justice, morality, and the human condition. This thematic depth adds layers to his stories, making them enduring and thought-provoking.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , a literary luminary of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has left an indelible mark on literature with his diverse and enduring works. From the immortal detective Sherlock Holmes to historical novels, science fiction, and explorations of spiritualism, Conan Doyle showcased remarkable versatility and literary prowess. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography and Works

His writing style, characterized by clarity, meticulous detail, and engaging plots, has transcended time, making his works accessible and enjoyable for readers across generations. The richness of his characters, particularly Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, adds depth to his narratives.

Conan Doyle’s impact extends beyond the literary realm; his legacy endures as a pioneer in detective fiction and a master storyteller who navigated various genres with finesse. Through his contributions, he has become a perennial figure in the pantheon of literary greats.Why is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle important?,How many books did Arthur Conan Doyle write?,where was arthur conan doyle born,arthur conan doyle family

1. What are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous works?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous works include the Sherlock Holmes series, with notable titles such as “A Study in Scarlet,” “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” Other renowned works include “The Lost World,” “Micah Clarke,” and “The White Company.”

2. How would you describe Conan Doyle’s writing style?

Conan Doyle’s writing style is marked by clarity, precision, and meticulous attention to detail. He excels in character development, uses first-person narratives effectively, and demonstrates versatility across diverse genres. His engaging plots and thematic depth contribute to the enduring appeal of his works.

3. How did Conan Doyle’s personal experiences influence his works?

Conan Doyle’s personal experiences, including his medical career, military service during World War I, and interest in spiritualism, had a profound impact on his writings. These experiences added depth and authenticity to his characters and themes, enriching the narratives in his diverse works.

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Napoléon Bonaparte (15 august 1769 - 5 may 1821) aka Napoléon 1er was a French military officer and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of successful campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1796 to 1815. He was the leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then of the French Empire as Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814, and briefly again in 1815.

Arthur Conan Doyle was fascinated by the Napoleonic era. He described Napoleon as "a wonderful man — perhaps the most wonderful man who ever lived." He was so impressed by "The Memoirs of General Marbot," that he wrote his fictional version of Marbot as Brigadier Etienne Gerard, a saga of 20 stories (19 short stories and 1 novel, not counting another novel "The Great Shadow") where Napoleon appears many times. Conan Doyle did a great deal of research into Napoleonic days and military details.

• 1 Conan Doyle about Napoleon
• 2.1 Napoleonic era
• 2.2 Brigadier Gerard
• 2.3 Sherlock Holmes stories
• 2.4 Other fictions
• 3 Adaptations
• 4 Related articles

Conan Doyle about Napoleon

• «  He [the captain] has a dog who has been taught to love the name of Napoleon , if you talk of shooting Napoleon he will make a dart at you.  » ( Log of the S. S. Hope , 1880)
• «  The terrible wars of Napoleon put an end to duelling for the time, but the restoration brought it forward again with renewed vigour.  » ( The Duello in France , 1890)
• «  He [ Napoleon ] was a wonderful man — perhaps the most wonderful man who ever lived. What strikes me is the lack of finality in his character. When you make up your mind that he is a complete villain, you come on some. noble trait, and then.your admiration of this is lost in some act of incredible meanness. But just think of it! Here was a young fellow of 30, a man who had no social advantages and but slight educational training. a member of a poverty-stricken family, entering a room with a troop of kings at his heels, and all the rest of them jealous if he spoke a moment longer to one than to the others. Then there must have been a great personal charm about the man, for some of those intimate with him loved him.  » ( A. Conan Doyle at Home , 1894)
• «  Oh, no one could ever compete with him [ Napoleon ] in that line. If he intended to invade Africa, he would give out that he was going to Russia ; then he would tell his intimates in strict confidence that Germany was the spot he had his eye on ; and finally he would whisper in the ear of his most confidential secretary that Spain was the point of attack. He was certainly an amazing and talented liar. [..] The secret of his success seems to me to have been his ability to originate gigantic schemes that seemed fantastic and impossible, while his mastery of detail enabled him to bring his projects to completion where any other man would have failed.  » ( Real Conversations. — V. A Dialogue between Conan Doyle and Robert Barr , 1894)
• «  Our military history has largely consisted in our conflicts with France, but Napoleon and all his veterans have never treated us so roughly as these hard-bitten farmers with their ancient theology and their inconveniently modern rifles. [..] One thinks of Napoleon striking at Egypt; how he gave it abroad that the real object of the expedition was Ireland, but breathed into the ears of one or two intimates that in very truth it was bound for Genoa. [..] In the days of Marlborough, in the darkest hours of Frederick the Great, in the great world struggle of Napoleon , we have been the brothers-in-arms of these people. So with the Austrians also. If both these countries were not finally swept from the map by Napoleon , it is largely to British subsidies and British tenacity that they owe it. [..] Mathias of the former, Digby-Jones and Dennis of the latter, showed that 'two in the morning' courage which Napoleon rated as the highest of military virtues. [..] One of Napoleon' s maxims in war was to concentrate all one's energies upon one thing at one time.  » ( The Great Boer War , 1900)
• «  I am rather proud of those, for they are my collection of Napoleonic military memoirs. There is a story told of an illiterate millionaire who gave a wholesale dealer an order for a copy of all books in any language treating of any aspect of Napoleon' s career. [..] Napoleon never thought of the conquest of Britain. He has expressly disclaimed it. What he did contemplate was a gigantic raid in which he would do so much damage that for years to come England would be occupied at home in picking up the pieces, instead of having energy to spend abroad in thwarting his Continental plans. [..] Talking of Napoleon' s flight from Egypt, did you ever see a curious little book called, if I remember right, "Intercepted Letters"? [..] Now, if you want to understand the character of Napoleon – but surely I must take a fresh start before I launch on so portentous a subject as that. ...  » ( Through the Magic Door , 1906-1907)
• «  Napoleon , who had never met them in battle, imagined that their unbroken success was due to some weakness in his marshals rather than to any excellence of the troops. "At last I have them, these English," he exclaimed, as he gazed at the thin red line at Waterloo. "At last they have me, these English," may have been his thought that evening as he spurred his horse out of the debacle. Foy warned him of the truth. "The British infantry is the devil," said he. "You think so because you were beaten by them," cried Napoleon . Like von Kluck or von Kluck's master, he had something to learn.  » ( The German War , 1914)
• «  Is there any example, by the way, of a very great soldier having what one usually calls a soldierly appearance? Not Napoleon certainly, with his chubby face, nor Wellington with his grave aristocratic features, nor Frederick with the expression of a pedantic schoolmaster, nor Marlborough with his handsome serenity.  » ( Western Wanderings , 1915)
• «  Great was the French soldier under Louis the Sun-King, great too under Napoleon , but never was he greater than to-day.  » ( A Visit to Three Fronts , 1916)
• «  When I had finished my medical education in 1882, I found myself, like many young medical men, a convinced materialist as regards our personal destiny. I had never ceased to be an earnest theist, because it seemed to me that Napoleon' s question to the atheistic professors on the starry night as he voyaged to Egypt: "Who was it, gentlemen, who made these stars?" has never been answered.  » ( The New Revelation , 1918)
• «  Napoleon , no mean judge of human nature, said of it: "It is different with Christ. Everything about Him astonishes me. His spirit surprises me, and His will confounds me. Between Him and anything of this world there is no possible comparison. He is really a being apart. The nearer I approach Him and the closer I examine Him, the more everything seems above me."  » ( The Vital Message , 1919)
• «  Whilst there [Davos] I began the Brigadier Gerard series of stories, founded largely upon that great book, "The Memoirs of General Marbot." This entailed a great deal of research into Napoleonic days, and my military detail was, I think, very accurate — so much so that I had a warm letter of appreciation from Archibald Forbes, the famous war correspondent, who was himself a great Napoleonic and military student.  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XII , 1922-1923)
• «  Another book of those days was "Uncle Bernac," which I never felt to be satisfactory, though I venture to claim that the two chapters which portray Napoleon give a clearer picture of him than many a long book has done, which is natural enough, since they are themselves the quintessence of a score of books.  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XV , 1922-1923)
• «  Napoleon went one better, however, on a certain occasion when he published an Intercepted British mail, which led to a British reprisal of the same sort, not at all conducive to the peace of families.  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XVIII , 1922-1923)
• «  I had one other dramatic venture, "Brigadier Gerard," which also was mildly successful. [..] Lewis Waller played the Brigadier and a splendid dashing Hussar he made. It was a glorious performance. I remember that in this play also I ran up against the conventionalities of the stage. I had a group of Hussar officers, the remnants of the regiment which had gone through Napoleon' s last campaign. When it came to the dress rehearsal, I found them, to my horror, dressed up in brand new uniforms of chestnut and silver. "Good heavens!" I cried. "This is not a comic opera!" "What do you want done?" asked Waller. "Why," said I, "these men are warriors, not ballet dancers. They have been out in all weathers day and night for months. Every scrap of truth goes out of the play if they appear like that." The uniforms had cost over a hundred pounds, but I covered them with mud and dust and tore holes in them. The result was that, with begrimed faces, I got a band of real Napoleonic soldiers.  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XXII , 1922-1923)
• «  The talk got upon Napoleon' s Marshals, and you would have thought that he [George Meredith] knew them intimately, and he did Murat's indignation at being told to charge au bout, as if he ever charged any other way, in a fashion which would have brought down the house.  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XXIII , 1922-1923)
• «  There were present also Prince Victor Napoleon [" Napoleon V"] and his wife, who was, I think, a daughter of my old aversion, Leopold, King of the Belgians and Overlord of the Congo.  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XXVII , 1922-1923)
• «  I wrote at the time: "Soldiers of France, farewell! In your own phrase, I salute you! Many have seen you who had more knowledge by which to judge your manifold virtues, many also who had more skill to draw you as you are, but never one, I am sure, who admired you more than I. Great was the French soldier, under Louis the Sun-King, great too under Napoleon , but never was he greater than to-day.".  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XXX , 1922-1923)
• «  "Then it will last some years and end in a Napoleon ," said I. He [Lloyd George] agreed. "The revolt," he said, "was in no sense pro-German."  » ( Memories and Adventures. Chap. XXXI , 1922-1923)
• «  Take the last of the Brigadiers also. My whole object is to give the reader a stunning shock by Napoleon lying dead at the crisis of the adventure. But the story is prefaced by a large picture of Napoleon lying dead, which simply knocks the bottom out of the whole thing from the story-teller's point of view.  » ( Some Letters of Conan Doyle , 1930)

Napoleon in Conan Doyle's Fictions

Napoleonic era

• The Great Shadow (1892)
• Brigadier Gerard
• The Medal of Brigadier Gerard (1894)
• How the King Held the Brigadier (1895)
• How the Brigadier Slew the Brothers of Ajaccio (1895)
• How the Brigadier was Tempted by the Devil (1895)
• Uncle Bernac (1897)
• The Crime of the Brigadier (1900)
• How Brigadier Gerard Lost His Ear (1902)
• How the Brigadier Rode to Minsk (1902)
• Brigadier Gerard at Waterloo (1903)
• How Etienne Gerard Said Good-Bye to his Master (1903)

Sherlock Holmes stories

• The Red-Headed League (1891) : Napoleons, the gold coins.
• The Adventure of the Final Problem (1893) : James Moriarty, the Napoleon of crime.
• The Adventure of the Six Napoleons (1904) : Napoleons plaster busts. Dr Barnicot is an enthusiastic admirer of Napoleon, and his house is full of books, pictures, and relics of the French Emperor.
• The Adventure of the Abbey Grange (1904) : "We have not yet met our Waterloo, Watson, but this is our Marengo, for it begins in defeat and ends in victory."
• The Valley of Fear (1914) : a chain with this Napoleon-gone-wrong at one end.

Other fictions

• That Little Square Box (1881) : "Napoleon" as a game.
• An Exciting Christmas Eve (1883) : Friedrich Staps who attempted to assassin Napoleon.
• Our Midnight Visitor (1891) : Napoleons, the gold coins.
• A Straggler of '15  : story set in Napoleonic era.
• The Lord of Château Noir (1894) : Napoleons, the gold coins.
• A Foreign Office Romance (1894) : Mention of the absurd account of Napoleon's second visit to Ajaccio.
• The Stark Munro Letters (1895) : "The greatest monument ever erected to Napoleon Buonaparte was the British National debt." [..] Cullingworth, a sort of Napoleon of medicine.
• Rodney Stone (1896) : "peace between Napoleon and ourselves..." [..] "... the power of Napoleon and to prevent him from becoming the universal despot of Europe." [..] "... Napoleon's ambition for ever to the land, and his death..." [..] "... the renewed threats of Napoleon were secondary things in the eyes of the sportsmen..."
• The Tragedy of the Korosko (1897) : Colonel Cochrane, a caricature of the great Napoleon.
• A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus (1899) : "The distance from the ear to the forehead is said to be only equalled by Napoleon and by Gladstone."
• The Début of Bimbashi Joyce (1900) : "Napoleon had said, and Hilary Joyce had noted, that great reputations are only to be made in the East."
• An Impression of the Regency (1900) : "... to push Napoleon's veterans out of the Peninsula."
• The Death Voyage (1929) : "I think that Napoleon should have died at Waterloo."

Adaptations

Plays and movies with Napoleon in Conan Doyle adaptations

• Napoleon Performers in Conan Doyle adaptations

A. E. George in Brigadier Gerard (1906)

Émile Drain in Un drame sous Napoléon (1921)

Max Barwyn in The Fighting Eagle (1927)

Booth Colman in How the Brigadier Won His Medals (1954)

Eli Wallach in The Adventures of Gerard (1970)

Movie and radio adaptations of The Six Napoleons

Other adaptations

Related articles

• A Portrait of Napoleon (1897)
• The Cheery Doctor: Napoleon's Malady (1910)
• Napoleon's Friend: Brigadier Gerard on the Films (1927)
• A Straggler of '15 (1891)
• A Story of Waterloo (1894)
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