Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Doyles were a prosperous Irish-Catholic family, who had a prominent position in the world of Art. Charles Altamont Doyle, Arthur's father, a chronic alcoholic, was the only member of his family, who apart from fathering a brilliant son, never accomplished anything of note. At the age of twenty-two, Charles had married Mary Foley, a vivacious and very well educated young woman of seventeen.
Arthur Conan Doyle is best remembered today as thecreator Of the world's most famous detective, SherlockHolmes. But he was much more than that. Apart from beinga popular and prolific author - his literary output includedhistorical novels, science fiction and histories of the Boer Warand the First World War - his passion for a wide range ofsubjects make him a colourful and intriguing character in hisown right.
Author's Preface
Early Recollections
Under the Jesuits
Recollections of a Student
Whaling in the Arctic Ocean
The Voyage to West Africa
My First Experiences in Practice
My Start at Southsea
My First Literary Success
Pulling up the Anchor
The Great Break
Sidelights on Sherlock Holmes
Norwood and Switzerland
Egypt in 1896
On the Edge of a Storm
An Interlude of Peace
The Start for South Africa
Days with the Army
Final Experiences in South Africa
An Appeal to the WorM's Opinion
My Political Adventures
Post- War Campaigns
The Years between the Wars
Some Notable People
Some Recollections of Sport
To the Rocky Mountains in 1914
The Eve of War
A Remembrance of the Dark Years
Experiences on the British Front
Experiences on the Italian Front
Experiences on the French Front
Breaking the Hindenburg Line
The Psychic Quest