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The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle: The Real Life Sherlock Holmes
'Meticulously researched.' - Stewart Lamont, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre 'Sandford's accomplished, well-crafted work brings Conan Doyle into sharp relief as a man of scrupulous fairness and great integrity.' - Library Journal 'Adds a new dimension to our understanding of the creator of Sherlock Holmes.' - Hugh Ashton, author and reviewer When Arthur Conan Doyle was a lonely 7-year-old schoolboy at pre-prep Newington Academy in Edinburgh, a French émigré named Eugene Chantrelle was engaged there to teach Modern Languages. A few years later, Chantrelle would be hanged for the particularly grisly murder of his wife, beginning Doyle's own association with some of the bloodiest crimes of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. This early link between actual crime and the greatest detective story writer of all time is one of many fascinating and sometimes chilling connections. Using freshly available evidence and eyewitness testimony, Christopher Sandford follows these links and draws out the connections between Doyle's literary output and true crime in a pattern that will enthral and surprise the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans. In a sense, Doyle wanted to be Sherlock – to be a man who could bring order and justice to a terrible world.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2017
18 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Sandford
83 books28 followersChristopher Sandford has published acclaimed biographies of Kurt Cobain, Steve McQueen, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Roman Polanski. He has worked as a film and music writer and reviewer for over 20 years and frequently contributes to newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone has called him "the preeminent author in his field today."
His latest project, MASTERS OF MYSTERY (forthcoming November 2011, Palgrave Macmillan) explores Arthur Conan Doyle's and Harry Houdini's incredible friendship and fascination with Spiritualism.
His latest project, MASTERS OF MYSTERY (forthcoming November 2011, Palgrave Macmillan) explores Arthur Conan Doyle's and Harry Houdini's incredible friendship and fascination with Spiritualism.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 28, 2019
I wasn't sure exactly where this book was going when I first started reading it since it jumped around in time and place.. But it soon became clear that the author was comparing the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with that of his famous doppelganger Sherlock Holmes. And it is rather surprising.
Conan Doyle was an author who could create some interesting crime detection methods and was committed to the underdog. He began, in later life, inserting himself into real life crime cases and was often consulted by the authorities for assistance. Although he certainly wasn't Holmes, he had a talent for looking beyond the evidence and was successful several times in clearing suspects and even those who were sentenced to death.
Interesting but not particularly engrossing book. It is worth a read, especially for the Holmes fan.
Conan Doyle was an author who could create some interesting crime detection methods and was committed to the underdog. He began, in later life, inserting himself into real life crime cases and was often consulted by the authorities for assistance. Although he certainly wasn't Holmes, he had a talent for looking beyond the evidence and was successful several times in clearing suspects and even those who were sentenced to death.
Interesting but not particularly engrossing book. It is worth a read, especially for the Holmes fan.
February 24, 2021
Since I started reading the Sherlock Holmes stories, I thought it would be fitting to read more about the man who wrote the stories (no, not Dr Watson). Since I don’t believe the conspiracy theory that Holmes and Watson actually exist, it’s time to read about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Man Who Would be Sherlock isn’t so much a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle as it is a character sketch of the man, exploring the various cases that he came into contact with and his growing fascination with spiritualism. Reading the book, it’s clear that Conan Doyle was someone who never did things by halves and was always ready to leap to the defence of the underdog, traits that led him to champion a variety of causes, including some that ended up discrediting him (remember the fairies?).
If you enjoy true crime, you may enjoy the fact that this book is filled with cases that Conan Doyle was involved in. That said, only two cases are looked at in detail – the case of George Edjali, a solicitor of Indian and Caucasian descent who was accused of poison pen letters and mutilating horses, and the murder of Miss Gilchrist, where Doyle shows that you don’t have to like the person you’re helping to recognise that injustice has been done. These two cases get about two chapters each, while other cases that Doyle is involved in get a few paragraphs.
One thing that surprised me (and my inability to keep a coherent timeline may surprise you) was that Conan Doyle was alive while Agatha Christie was alive. For some reason, I always had the idea that Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes mysteries were about a generation before the Golden Age of mystery and the authors belonged to different times, an idea that was thoroughly shattered when I read that Conan Doyle was asked about Christie’s mysterious disappearance.
Overall, this was an interesting book and by the end of it, I felt like I had a better understanding of Conan Doyle and the many facets of his nature – he could be gullible, he could be tenacious, he could be analytical, he championed the underdog, and he wrote some of the most famous detective stories. He’s more than his most famous creation, but Doyle also shares a few similarities with Holmes.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
The Man Who Would be Sherlock isn’t so much a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle as it is a character sketch of the man, exploring the various cases that he came into contact with and his growing fascination with spiritualism. Reading the book, it’s clear that Conan Doyle was someone who never did things by halves and was always ready to leap to the defence of the underdog, traits that led him to champion a variety of causes, including some that ended up discrediting him (remember the fairies?).
If you enjoy true crime, you may enjoy the fact that this book is filled with cases that Conan Doyle was involved in. That said, only two cases are looked at in detail – the case of George Edjali, a solicitor of Indian and Caucasian descent who was accused of poison pen letters and mutilating horses, and the murder of Miss Gilchrist, where Doyle shows that you don’t have to like the person you’re helping to recognise that injustice has been done. These two cases get about two chapters each, while other cases that Doyle is involved in get a few paragraphs.
One thing that surprised me (and my inability to keep a coherent timeline may surprise you) was that Conan Doyle was alive while Agatha Christie was alive. For some reason, I always had the idea that Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes mysteries were about a generation before the Golden Age of mystery and the authors belonged to different times, an idea that was thoroughly shattered when I read that Conan Doyle was asked about Christie’s mysterious disappearance.
Overall, this was an interesting book and by the end of it, I felt like I had a better understanding of Conan Doyle and the many facets of his nature – he could be gullible, he could be tenacious, he could be analytical, he championed the underdog, and he wrote some of the most famous detective stories. He’s more than his most famous creation, but Doyle also shares a few similarities with Holmes.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
November 14, 2020
The book gets off to a good starts digging into Doyles life and how that influenced his creation of Sherlock and the various Sherlock stories. But about half way into the book it becomes a detailed description of several of Doyle's personal quests for justice and just drops off the Sherlock story.
First half was a good read, second half not so much
First half was a good read, second half not so much
October 7, 2024
This was a very interesting book. Depressing at times. I learned so much about Doyle and his real life inspirations and ideals in the creation and development of Sherlock Holmes. So glad I read it.
February 14, 2022
A fascinating insight into the man behind Sherlock Holmes, who emerges as an intelligent, compassionate (if slightly gullible) quester for justice. Essential for Holmes fans or anyone who has an interest in crime and detection in the Victorian/Edwardian eras.
February 3, 2019
Sandford has written a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle--not Sherlock Holmes. It is packed with details and facts about Doyle's background and education. Interesting.
October 11, 2022
Initially focusing on his literary creations - historic novels as well as Holmes - and commentary on society, science, sports as well as being a 'devoted' advocate of spiritualism, the dead being able to speak to the living and even fairies.
But Sandford placed more scrutiny on his crusades for justice - in some cases, for the wrong reasons but. . . .
There are two cases that are majorly focused on: George Edalji who was convicted for 7 years penal servitude for what was obviously a miscarriage of justice that had the crime scene contaminated not only by the police but gawkers along with contaminated evidence (there were hose hairs on his jacker confiscated by the police and wrapped up in brown paper with a piece of the horse's skin he was accused of mutilating and killing. The entire Great Wyrley situation of vile, threating letters directed at the Edalji family (the patriarch was an Anglican vicar of Hindu origin) and the animal mutilations should not have lasted as long as they did (20+ years and 3+ years respectively) without unbiased police and scientific investigations. Even when George was in custody and the mutilations continued, he was blamed for his 'gang' continuing the crimes. All it really displayed was biased and bigoted townspeople that closed ranks against the family.
The other case was that of Oscar Slater who was accused of murdering Marion Gilchrist. From Sandford's investigations, it sounds more like a family dispute and/or speeding up the reading of the will and yet, Slater was accused, convicted and sent to prison. Admittedly, Conon Doyle didn't approve of Slater as he was a minor criminal, a gambler who pawned a brooch repeatedly when in need of money (the same brooch that he was accused of stealing from Gilchrist), associated with prostitutes and was - unfortunately, of German and Jewish origins. Witnesses initially failed to identify Slater as the man seen loitering about Gilchrist's apartment as well as the person seen leaving just before her body was discovered but changed their stories. Eventually the sentence was "quashed" after nineteen years due to the judge's directions to the jury. Yes, a technicality.
Sadly, the sharp mind that created Holmes using examination and reasonable deduction to solve crimes turned to having all the answers to criminal activity that was forwarded to him as well as other decisions come from spirits/seances. Even Harry Houdini, who he would initially become friends with but eventually the difference in viewpoint on mediums and their displays drove them apart.
Interesting but too focused on those two cases and his conversion to spiritualism that lead to decades of bitter conflict with friends and admirers.
On the other hand, Conan Doyle wrote a short story called "Selecting a Ghost" about a wealthy homeowner who was interviewing spooks to haunt his mansion. I can easily see this being a children's tale but know that Doyle's version is typical Victorian and not for a child's consumption.
2022-219
But Sandford placed more scrutiny on his crusades for justice - in some cases, for the wrong reasons but. . . .
There are two cases that are majorly focused on: George Edalji who was convicted for 7 years penal servitude for what was obviously a miscarriage of justice that had the crime scene contaminated not only by the police but gawkers along with contaminated evidence (there were hose hairs on his jacker confiscated by the police and wrapped up in brown paper with a piece of the horse's skin he was accused of mutilating and killing. The entire Great Wyrley situation of vile, threating letters directed at the Edalji family (the patriarch was an Anglican vicar of Hindu origin) and the animal mutilations should not have lasted as long as they did (20+ years and 3+ years respectively) without unbiased police and scientific investigations. Even when George was in custody and the mutilations continued, he was blamed for his 'gang' continuing the crimes. All it really displayed was biased and bigoted townspeople that closed ranks against the family.
The other case was that of Oscar Slater who was accused of murdering Marion Gilchrist. From Sandford's investigations, it sounds more like a family dispute and/or speeding up the reading of the will and yet, Slater was accused, convicted and sent to prison. Admittedly, Conon Doyle didn't approve of Slater as he was a minor criminal, a gambler who pawned a brooch repeatedly when in need of money (the same brooch that he was accused of stealing from Gilchrist), associated with prostitutes and was - unfortunately, of German and Jewish origins. Witnesses initially failed to identify Slater as the man seen loitering about Gilchrist's apartment as well as the person seen leaving just before her body was discovered but changed their stories. Eventually the sentence was "quashed" after nineteen years due to the judge's directions to the jury. Yes, a technicality.
Sadly, the sharp mind that created Holmes using examination and reasonable deduction to solve crimes turned to having all the answers to criminal activity that was forwarded to him as well as other decisions come from spirits/seances. Even Harry Houdini, who he would initially become friends with but eventually the difference in viewpoint on mediums and their displays drove them apart.
Interesting but too focused on those two cases and his conversion to spiritualism that lead to decades of bitter conflict with friends and admirers.
On the other hand, Conan Doyle wrote a short story called "Selecting a Ghost" about a wealthy homeowner who was interviewing spooks to haunt his mansion. I can easily see this being a children's tale but know that Doyle's version is typical Victorian and not for a child's consumption.
2022-219
August 28, 2017
Everyone knows the name Sherlock Holmes. Even if you've never read any of Arthur Conan Doyle's books (like me) there have been so many incarnations of the famous detective that even today he remains relevant. This book explores the man behind the detective and some of the real life crimes that influenced the fiction.
Interestingly the author seems to have a real love/hate relationship with his creation and actually killed off Sherlock quite early on. Thankfully, with a massive past case file to refer to, he was, nevertheless, able to live on over many volumes.
The book looks at some particularly gruesome real life cases, in which the police seem to have investigated in an unbelievably inept way.
The bizarre Edalji case spanned several years of poison pen letters and mutilation of farm animals whilst the murder of Marion Gilchrist remains unsolved despite the police seemingly missing obvious clues and focussing their attention on one suspect to the exclusion of rational detective work.
In both cases Arthur Conan Doyle was involved in obtaining justice for the imprisoned innocents (though both "innocents" may have been guilty of some crimes so murky are both stories).
Aside from his real life detective work the author was also fascinated by the spiritual world and became more and more drawn into the realms of mediums and séances. This seems entirely at odds with a man who could create a rational detective like Sherlock and berates the police for not following the evidence.
He was also convinced of the existence of fairies and so, it becomes clear perhaps, that one can always find the evidence if you believe in something strongly enough!
The author sums him up very well within the book - "Doyle was one of the great progressive minds of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a dynamic figure linking the disparate worlds of crime, the arts, social reform, British nationalism and, increasingly, the enigmatic practices of the séance room"
You come away feeling quite confused about the man. On the one hand he seems overly pompous and opinionated yet was always ready to fight the corner of the underdog (and particularly seemed determined to get justice for the fairer sex). He is pragmatic and practical yet believes in things that others would consider daft and preposterous.
Sherlock was just a small part of his overall output as an author and this book certainly proves that Mr Conan Doyle was no one trick pony.
Interestingly the author seems to have a real love/hate relationship with his creation and actually killed off Sherlock quite early on. Thankfully, with a massive past case file to refer to, he was, nevertheless, able to live on over many volumes.
The book looks at some particularly gruesome real life cases, in which the police seem to have investigated in an unbelievably inept way.
The bizarre Edalji case spanned several years of poison pen letters and mutilation of farm animals whilst the murder of Marion Gilchrist remains unsolved despite the police seemingly missing obvious clues and focussing their attention on one suspect to the exclusion of rational detective work.
In both cases Arthur Conan Doyle was involved in obtaining justice for the imprisoned innocents (though both "innocents" may have been guilty of some crimes so murky are both stories).
Aside from his real life detective work the author was also fascinated by the spiritual world and became more and more drawn into the realms of mediums and séances. This seems entirely at odds with a man who could create a rational detective like Sherlock and berates the police for not following the evidence.
He was also convinced of the existence of fairies and so, it becomes clear perhaps, that one can always find the evidence if you believe in something strongly enough!
The author sums him up very well within the book - "Doyle was one of the great progressive minds of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a dynamic figure linking the disparate worlds of crime, the arts, social reform, British nationalism and, increasingly, the enigmatic practices of the séance room"
You come away feeling quite confused about the man. On the one hand he seems overly pompous and opinionated yet was always ready to fight the corner of the underdog (and particularly seemed determined to get justice for the fairer sex). He is pragmatic and practical yet believes in things that others would consider daft and preposterous.
Sherlock was just a small part of his overall output as an author and this book certainly proves that Mr Conan Doyle was no one trick pony.
June 13, 2025
Although it started off on a good note, this book was a disappointment. The first part of the book delves into Arthur Conan Doyle's life and how that influenced his best-known character, Sherlock Holmes. That was intriguing and I wish the book continued in that vein.
Instead, it digressed into very detailed accounts of a couple of specific situations where Doyle inserted himself into real-life investigations and his personal determination to find justice for people he thought were incorrectly accused. These quests dragged on for years, sometimes even after the accused's death, and reading about them quickly got very tiresome.
If the book had spent more time on Holmes and less on Doyle, I would have enjoyed it much more.
Instead, it digressed into very detailed accounts of a couple of specific situations where Doyle inserted himself into real-life investigations and his personal determination to find justice for people he thought were incorrectly accused. These quests dragged on for years, sometimes even after the accused's death, and reading about them quickly got very tiresome.
If the book had spent more time on Holmes and less on Doyle, I would have enjoyed it much more.
September 12, 2019
This was an interesting account of Arthur Conan Doyle. Quite a bit of it I'd read in previous places but I especially enjoyed the amount of detail Christopher Sandford paid to the possible cases and inspirations for the Sherlock stories. Some of the parallels and lines drawn were a bit too loose - but others you could see the inspiration. I also really enjoyed the attention to Doyle's love of Spiritualism at the end to be well done. I've seen it mocked or treated badly before, but Mr. Sandford approached it in a more even toned manner than I'd seen in a while.
It was an engaging and fun read.
It was an engaging and fun read.
July 30, 2019
Interesting book. Though I've read other biographies of Doyle, this one presented him in light of his most popular creation: Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't realized how many different real-life crime cases that Doyle had weighed in on, sometimes championing the case of the victim, sometimes crusading for the convicted person. Because of his fame as an author, he had access to many persons of authority in government and other circles and he did not hesitate to use those connections in these cases. Many times, he emulated Holmes in his methods of investigation -- but not always. :)
June 13, 2022
This is an extremely well written and fascinating biography of Arthur Conan Doyle which does a creditable job of drawing parallels between Doyle and his well loved detective Sherlock Holmes. Doyle lived an interesting life and took a passionate interest in the plight of those he believed were wrongly accused to the mysteries of the paranormal. He was an interesting guy and Sandford expertly captures the man with all his quirks as well as his brilliance.
Even if you're not a Holmes fan, this one's worth a listen.
Even if you're not a Holmes fan, this one's worth a listen.
September 20, 2022
It was informative but a bit dry. Definitely only for fans of Arthur Conan Doyle. He was a bit of a conflicted character - a believer in science but also in the occult. He firmly believed he could make contact with his dead son through seances. He was also eternally lobbying for people he considered to be poorly served by the justice system. The Sherlock Holmes fans can also be grateful that he was not overly wealthy and needed to continue writing the Holmes mysteries as a source of income.
February 9, 2019
If nothing else, this book show there was so much more to Conan Doyle than the creation of Sherlock Holmes. This is a truly fascinating account of the real cases of injustice that Conan Doyle took on and to which he applied his famous detective’s methods. Yet here was man with such an ability for deductive reasoning who also believed fervently in spiritualism. A well researched look at an original and complicated man whose life is just as interesting as his famous creation.
December 31, 2023
An incoherent stream of ideas and excerpts from correspondence that meandered haphazardly through a few stories about Conan Doyle. This isn’t a biography. I’m not sure I could even call it a story. It’s confusing, repetitive, too long for what it actually conveys, and just a mess. The author has a sensationalistic focus on points where female anatomy or perverse sexual inclinations are concerned in the legal cases in which Conan Doyle involved himself.
March 18, 2020
Disappointed me. I felt this jumped around and lacked focus. I also thought it focused way too heavily on the Edaji affair--that gentleman was a fool to write the letters he did, but wasn't likely to have done the animal mutilations he was accused of. I felt the cases/affairs Doyle looked into sort of petered out.
October 6, 2021
A well-researched look into the real-life mysteries that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle became involved with over his career. Doyle was very much a believer in justice, and would fight crusades on behalf of people he thought had been dealt with unfairly by the legal system. This is a readable and enjoyable look at those, including his belief in spiritualism and his run-ins with Harry Houdini.
February 24, 2019
This book covers real life cases that Holmes’s creator
Arthur Conan Doyle investigated.
Arthur Conan Doyle investigated.
June 1, 2019
Great read. Very interesting. Author even names who Conan Doyle thought was Jack the Ripper.
November 2, 2020
Interesting concept and stories, but rather wandering and vague sense of organization. Would have been more interesting if better organized.
April 16, 2021
Fascinating character writing about fascinating cases
September 5, 2021
Was definetly an interesting read and was interesting to see the real life cases he got involved in. However the jumping around made it lack focus and hard to follow at times
May 7, 2022
Skipped alot of this one. A droning, boring, and ugh!
August 29, 2023
A Book for those who Love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! And not just Sherlock Holmes!
December 27, 2018
Hard to Read
I don't think I have ever read a book that bounced around in time as much as this one. It seemed like every paragraph had a year mentioned, and without them, the reader would be completely confused. The explanations of the two major cases (George Edalji and Oscar Slater) seem to go on forever with minute and repeated details.
It was fascinating to learn of the many real cases Doyle took an interest in because of his famous creation, as well as, to learn more about his other writings and especially his fascination with spiritualism and contacting the dead.
I don't think I have ever read a book that bounced around in time as much as this one. It seemed like every paragraph had a year mentioned, and without them, the reader would be completely confused. The explanations of the two major cases (George Edalji and Oscar Slater) seem to go on forever with minute and repeated details.
It was fascinating to learn of the many real cases Doyle took an interest in because of his famous creation, as well as, to learn more about his other writings and especially his fascination with spiritualism and contacting the dead.
June 15, 2019
I am a fan of Sherlock for as long as I can remember. As a child, I would watch Jeremy Brett perform as Sherlock, I was captivated at his unequaled brillance. Here I refer to Sherlock's genius and Jeremy Brett's perfect portrail. I enjoyed learning more about the creator of Holmes and his world in this fantastic book. This must sit on any shelf of a Baker Street Irregular.
September 4, 2019
It skipped around a lot and it was hard to tell where we were in time and how the events being described related to other events we read about.
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March 15, 2019Rating and review to come.
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