The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

by John Dickson Carr, Daniel Stashower (Introduction)

This vivid biography, written by John Dickson Carr, a giant in the field of mystery fiction, benefits from his full access to the archives of the eminent Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—to his notebooks, diaries, press clippings, and voluminous correspondence. Like his creation Sherlock Holmes, Doyle had "a horror of destroying documents," and until his death in 1930, they accumulated to vast amount throughout his house at Windlesham. They provide many of the words incorporated by Carr in this lively portrayal of Doyle's forays into politics, his infatuation with spiritualism, his literary ambitions, and dinner-table conversations with friends like H. G. Wells and King Edward VII. Carr, then, in a sense collaborates with his subject to unfold a colorful narrative that takes Doyle from his school days at Stonyhurst to Edinburgh University and a medical practice at Southsea, where he conceived the idea of wedding scientific study to criminal investigation in the fictive person of Sherlock Holmes. It also explores the private tragedy of Doyle's first marriage and long-delayed second as it follows him into the arena of public activity, propaganda, and literary output that would win him not only celebrity but also knighthood. 8 pages of black-and-white photographs are featured.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Mystery, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

AKA Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.

John Dickson Carr was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1906. It Walks by Night, his first published detective novel, featuring the Frenchman Henri Bencolin, was published in 1930. Apart from Dr Fell, whose first appearance was in Hag's Nook in 1933, Carr's other series detectives (published under the nom de plume of Carter Dickson) were the barrister Sir Henry Merrivale, who debuted in The Plague Court Murders (1934).

Reviews

[Joanna Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, sympathetic look at the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In dealing with the biography, the author also gives a good overview of British history during ACD’s lifetime. I can now say all I know about the Boer War I learned from this book.
The author intrusion was a bit distracting at times.

[Jennifer Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

“‘The coat-sleeve, the trouser-knee, the callosities of the forefinger and thumb, the boot—any one of these might tell us, but that all united should fail to enlighten the trained observation is incredible.” —a note Sir Arthur Conan Doyle “scrawled quickly across the inside cover” of his notebook in 1886, quoted in John Dickson Carr’s THE LIFE OF SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1948). Book #13 of 2024.

With those insights, “why not write a detective novel?” as Carr puts it. Carr, a master of Golden Age detective fiction in his own right, had access to Conan Doyle family papers and stories as he worked on this rollicking celebration of the life and work of Sherlock Holmes’s creator. There was a lot more to ACD than his famous sleuth, about whom he had mixed and occasionally murderous feelings. He most loved writing historical fiction like THE WHITE COMPANY. He was a major public figure for decades, weighing in with articles and books on everything from divorce reform (in favor) to women’s suffrage (not a fan) to the need for body armor to reduce the slaughter in the Great War (good luck with that one). He worked to see justice done in a couple of high-profile criminal cases. He volunteered as a doctor in South Africa during the Boer War, and was, to hear Carr tell it, a terror behind the wheel of a motorcar.

Then there’s his conversion to spiritualism after decades of resolute agnosticism—whatever you think of the cause, Conan Doyle gave it his all. He was also a devoted son to the Ma’am, as he called his formidable, heraldry-loving mother. Carr points out the steak of chivalry that recurs in Holmes stories, and now I understand where that comes from.

I’m a lifelong Sherlock fan and got a time-capsule kick out of this book, though it is not for all tastes, and Carr gets a bit overheated at times. This is not shy and retiring prose. Reading this felt like time-traveling back to the Victorian/Edwardian eras with a filter of 1940s best-of-good-old-England sentiment.

I picked this up on a lark at Daedalus, a used bookstore in Charlottesville that was a childhood fave of mine.

[Keith Boynton · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Read aloud to Mom.) Published in 1949, this book assumes a wealth of background knowledge – about Conan Doyle, about war and world politics, about Sherlock Holmes and all the rest. Taking so much for granted, it can be maddeningly elliptical – even, at times, opaque. Still, it's lively throughout, and Doyle is certainly a captivating figure. "The good giant," one French journalist called him – and the moniker seems to fit.

[Mark Stattelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid biography. A bit dry in spots (mainly the Boar War section). I believe the book was first published in 1940 (about ten years after Doyle's death. I had read the first hundred pages or so a couple different times but don't think I had ever finished it. This time I finished. My stopping in earlier tries was probably more due to my mood/interest--or lack thereof, at the time, rather than it being a reflection on the book itself.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Dickson Carr's superb biography in summer 1981. Until then, my knowledge of Conan Doyle was based on SH paperbacks and Basil Rathbone on The Million Dollar Movie.

Unlike any other biographer of ACD, Dickson Carr was first and foremost a writer of classic crime fiction. His insights into ACD's crime stories are fascinating.

[The Devine Ms Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much I didn't know about ACD, which is why I read the book, so it didn't disappoint. It was written like a novel and gave good political background. Most helpful to someone reading it long after his death.

[N. Baily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of a great man whose achievements extended far beyond Sherlock Holmes, well written by a thriller writer.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid biography about an absolutely fascinating human being. Worth reading for devotees of Sherlock Holmes.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blame it on Graham Moore!

While the urge to read about Sir ACD has gripped me occasionally, this time, with all his talk of missing papers, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, and turn of the century London, he made me try to read the book which enjoys a special reputation. It's not only Sir Arthur's first "authorised" biography, but also written by John Dickson Carr, a giant in the arena of mystery-writing.

Well, to cut it short, this book has been structured like a novel, and is a faster read than most award-winning tomes. But, it IS practically a novel, written with the aim of developing a shrine, upon which would be inscribed the maxim: "steel true, blade sharp".

If you are interested in hagiography, or would like to enjoy a pacy read, this one is for you. On the other hand, if you want to know about the human being who had created, murdered, and did a Lazarus on Sherlock Holmes, read the one written by Fawcette.

[Neil Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and fascinating book about a fascinating man. The only two things that stopped it getting five stars were
(1) the constant use by the author of the phrase 'this biographer' when referring to his own opinion or something he discovered. I found this an irritating and rather pompous way and would have preferred a simple 'I'.
(2) his attitude towards those who were less than enthusiastic about any of Mr Doyle's writing. It's obvious he is a fan of Doyle which is fine, but he could be quite insulting when talking of those who thought otherwise. There was no need to be so dismissive simply because their opinion differed from his.
Otherwise and in all other respects this is an excellent biography of one of our most famous (and best) writers. Recommended.

[Bonnie Staughton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love all characterizations of Sherlock Holmes so I was really interested in reading the biography of Arthur Conan Doyle. Most of this book by John Dickson Carr I thoroughly enjoyed though there were 2 places when I was thinking "why am I reading this?". One when Mr. Carr describes the Boer War and then when he discusses the political scene. Both of these subjects eventually got around to Sir Arthur. Thankfully. I never knew that Sir Arthur was an inventor or that he believed so much in what he was writing that sometimes he wouldn't even take money for the book. He just wanted to get it "out there" to the people. I didn't realize he was asked to solve a few crimes - making him the REAL Sherlock. A very interesting story about an interesting man.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the approach to this biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, Dickson Carr wrote it in story fashion, so it is a breeze to read and feels more like fiction with the cleverly woven anecdotes. An added bonus is that it is written by someone who lived in his time and didn't have to research the societal norms or historical background because he was there. Beautifully written, well researched - Carr had access to the family letters and Conan Doyle's notebooks before they got tied up in decades of legal debates - this is a must read for anyone who wants a good account of Arthur Conan Doyle's life.

[mr. 阿創]

福爾摩斯探案系列小說，可說是我閱讀的啟蒙，長大後照例要收藏一套，市面上福爾摩斯版本林立，有注音版、刪節版、精裝版...先人板板...要從中擇一，實在考驗腦汁。

經過種種評估考量後，我的候選名單剩下遠流四冊精裝版，跟這臉譜十冊版。最後我選擇了臉譜淘汰遠流的理由有三：臉譜九冊分印，遠流四冊硬塞，此其一；臉譜統一由王知一翻譯，遠流譯者各冊不同，此其二；第三是臉譜版這本市面難尋的《柯南‧道爾的一生》，可供讀者在閱讀完福爾摩斯之後，重新認識這名幕後作者的一生，大增收藏價值，則是我選擇臉譜版的主因。

當然，我買的時候正在促銷，臉譜版十大冊價錢比遠流四冊精裝便宜兩百塊，看倌們，選擇應該很明顯了吧，哈哈。

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Sherlock Holmes or Professor Challenger should be sure to read mystery writer John Dickson Carr biography of Sir Arthur, they'll be glad that they did.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating bio of interesting man that dabbled in spiritualism and medicine and traveled widely.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

the best resource and depiction of the badass that was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.