Biographies
Biographies about Arthur Conan Doyle have been published since 1923. Conan Doyle was the first to write one in his auto-biography Memories and Adventures serialized from october 1923 to july 1924 in The Strand Magazine. He also wrote reports of his long trips abroad with his family for lecture tours: Our American Adventure (1923), Our Second American Adventure (1924) and Our African Winter (1929).
The first post-mortem biographies were written by the Swedish Viktor Olsson in 1930 : Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Liv Och Minnen, and by Conan Doyle's friend John Lamond in 1931 : Arthur Conan Doyle: A Memoir. Since then, not least than 23 full biographies have been written and others about parts of his life.
A short one was written by his own son Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle in 1945 (The True Conan Doyle) as an answer to a previous biography written by Hesketh Pearson (Conan Doyle: His Life and Art, 1943) which he thought the book was a travesty and the values therein ascribed to him were the very antithesis of everything that he represented, believed in and held dear (sic).
Note also that Conan Doyle published an article Juvenilia in 1894 where he narrated his young years.
This following list shows original editions only.
Biographies and Semi-Biographies
-
Arthur Conan Doyle
by Eduardo Caamano
(Almuzara, 2019) spanish -
Arthur & Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes
by Michael Sims
(Bloomsbury, 2017) -
The Man Who Would Be Sherlock
by Christopher Sandford
(The History Press, 2017) -
From Holmes to Sherlock
by Mattias Boström
(Mysterious Press, 2017) -
No Better Place
by Alistair Duncan
(MX Publishing, 2015)
1907-1930 only -
A Chronology of the Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Brian W. Pugh
(MX Publishing, 2009-2014) -
Conan Doyle contre Sherlock Holmes
by Emmanuel Le Bret
(Du Moment, 2012 [FR]) -
Dangerous Work: Diary of an Arctic Adventure
by Jon Lellenberg & Daniel Stashower
(British Library, 2012)
1880 only -
An Entirely New Country
by Alistair Duncan
(MX Publishing, 2011)
1897-1907 only -
The Life and Times of Arthur Conan Doyle
by Golgotha Press
(Golgotha Press, 2011)
short biography 28 p. -
The Norwood Author
by Alistair Duncan
(MX Publishing, 2010)
1881-1894 only -
The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle: A Biography
by Russell Miller
(Thomas Dunne Books, 2008) -
The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes: The Life and Times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Andrew Lycett
(Free Press, 2007) -
Out of the Shadows
by Georgina Doyle
(Ash Tree Press, 2004)
first family only -
Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Baker Street
by Janet B. Pascal
(Oxford University Press, 2000) -
Arthur Conan Doyle: A Brief Portrait
by Pat Moore
(Lilburne Press, 1999)
24 pages -
Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle
by Daniel Stashower
(Henry Holt and Co., 1999) -
Conan Doyle
by Michael Coren
(Bloomsbury Pub., 1995) -
Arthur Conan Doyle
by James McCearney
(La Table Ronde, 1988)
in french only -
Arthur Conan Doyle
by Jacqueline Jaffe
(Twayne Pub., 1987) -
A Study In Southsea : From Bush Villas to Baker Street. The Unrevealed Life of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle
by Geoffrey Stavert
(Milestone Pub., 1987)
1882-1896 only -
Welcome to America
by Christopher Redmond
(Simon & Pierre, 1987)
1894 only -
Arthur Conan Doyle
by Don Richard Cox
(Frederick Ungar Pub., 1985) -
The Quest for Sherlock Holmes
by Owen Dudley Edwards
(Mainstream Pub., 1983) -
Conan Doyle: Portrait of an Artist
by Julian Symons
(Whizzard Press, 1979) -
Conan Doyle: A Biographical Solution
by Ronald Pearsall
(St. Martin's Press, 1977) -
The Adventures of Conan Doyle: The Life of the Creator of Sherlock Holmes
by Charles Higham
(W. W. Norton & Co., 1976) -
Conan Doyle: A Biography of the Creator of Sherlock Holmes
by Ivor Brown
(Hamish Hamilton, 1972) -
The Man Who Hated Sherlock Holmes. A Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by James P. Wood
(Pantheon Books, 1965) -
The Real Sherlock Holmes
by Mary Hoehling
(Julian Massner, 1965) -
Conan Doyle: A Biography
by Pierre Nordon
(Marcel Didier, 1964)
originally in french, published in english in 1967 -
The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes
by Michael & Mollie Hardwick
(John Murray, 1964) -
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by John Dickson Carr
(John Murray, 1949) -
Conan Doyle: His Life and Art
by Hesketh Pearson
(Methuen & Co., 1943) -
Arthur Conan Doyle: A Memoir
by Rev. John Lamond
(John Murray, 1931) -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Liv Och Minnen
by Viktor Olsson
(Världslitteraturens Förlag, 1930) -
Memories and Adventures
by Arthur Conan Doyle
(The Strand Magazine, 1923-1924) -
Juvenilia
by Arthur Conan Doyle
(Chatto & Windus, 1894)
his youth only
Reference Books with Biographical Content
Aside biographies of Arthur Conan Doyle, many studies have been written concerning specific topics of his life like his bibliography, crimes he investigated and solved, and his crusade for spiritualism...
This following list only shows original editions.
-
Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle and Switzerland
by Marcus Geisser
(Amazon, 2021) -
The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer
by Shrabani Basu
(Bloomsbury, 2021) -
The Uncanny Worlds of Conan Doyle vol. 3
by Kelvin I. Jones
(self-published, 2020) -
The Uncanny Worlds of Conan Doyle vol. 2
by Kelvin I. Jones
(self-published, 2020) -
The Uncanny Worlds of Conan Doyle vol. 1
by Kelvin I. Jones
(self-published, 2020) -
Something of Themselves: Kipling, Kingsley, Conan Doyle and the Anglo-Boer War
by Sarah LeFanu
(Oxford University Press, 2020) -
Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers, vol. 4
by Mattias Boström & Matt Laffey
(Gazogene Books, 2019) -
Saving Lives: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Campaign for Body Armour, 1914–18
by Philip Abbott
(Royal Armouries, 2017) -
Through a Glass, Darkly
by Stefan Bechtel & Laurence Roy Stains
(St. Martin's Press, 2017) -
Creating Sherlock Holmes: The Remarkable Story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Charlotte Montague
(Chartwell Books, 2017) -
Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers, vol. 3
by Mattias Boström & Matt Laffey
(Gazogene Books, 2017) -
The Adventures of Two British Gnetlemen in Switzerland
by DSHG
(DSHG Press, 2016) -
Welcome to Undershaw
by Luke Kuhns
(MX Publishing, 2016) -
Conan Doyle and the Mysterious World of Light
by Matt Wingett
(Life is Amazing, 2016) -
The Strange Case of Dr. Doyle: A Journey into Madness & Mayhem
by Daniel Friedman & Eugene Friedman
(Square One, 2015) -
Arthur Conan Doyle: Quotes and Facts
by Blago Kirov
(Amazon, 2015) -
Spuren, Elfen und andere Erscheinungen: Conan Doyle und die Photographie
by Bernd Stiegler
(S. Fischer, 2014) -
Conan Doyle: Writing, Profession, Practice
by Douglas Kerr
(Oxford U.P., 2013) -
Aide-de-Camp to Conan Doyle: The Boer War Diary of Charles Blasson
by Ken Cooper
(Amazon, 2013) -
Conan Doyle and the Spirits
by Kelvin Jones
(Cunning Crime Books, 2013) -
Conan Doyle and the Mediums
by Kelvin Jones
(Cunning Crime Books, 2012) -
Conan Doyle and the Crimes Club
by Stephen Wade
(Font Hill Media, 2012) -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Viaggio in Italia / Italian Journey
by Gianluca Salvatori, Enrico Solito & Robert Vianello
(2012) -
The Budds of the West Country, by Brian W. Pugh (privately published, 2012)
-
The Narrative of John Smith
edited and annotated by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower, Rachel Foss
(British Library, 2011) -
Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini
by Christopher Sandford
(St. Martin's Griffin, 2011) -
On Conan Doyle: Or, The Whole Art of Storytelling
by Michael Dirda
(Princetown University Press, 2011) -
Arthur Conan Doyle: The Man Behind Sherlock Holmes
by Andrew Norman
(The History Press, 2010) -
The Paranormal World of Sherlock Holmes: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, First Ghost Buster & Psychic Sleuth
by Tim R. Swartz
(Global Communication, 2010) -
Conversations with Arthur Conan Doyle
by Simon Parke
(White Crow Books, 2010) -
Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Devon: A Complete Tour Guide and Companion
by Brian W. Pugh, Paul R. Spiring, Sadru Bhanji (MX Publishing, 2010) -
Close to Holmes: A Look at the Connections Between Historical London, Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan
by Alistair Duncan
(MX Publishing, 2009) -
100 человек, которые изменили ход истопии: Конан Дойл
100 People, who changed the course of history: Conan Doyle
(De Agostini, 2009) -
Arthur Conan Doyle
by Marianne Stjepanovic-Pauly
(Jasmin, 2008) french -
On the Trail of Arthur Conan Doyle: An Illustrated Devon Tour
by Brian W. Pugh & Paul R. Spiring (Book Guild, 2008) -
Bertram Fletcher Robinson: A Footnote to The Hound of the Baskervilles
by Brian W. Pugh & Paul R. Spiring (MX Publishing, 2008) -
Conan Doyle: Not Only Sherlock Holmes
by Nikolay Nadezhdin
(Maior, 2008) russian -
Conan Doyle: Lives of Remarkable People series
by Maxim Chertanov (2008) russian -
Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters
by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower & Charles Foley
(HarperPress, 2007) -
Oscar Slater: The 'Immortal' Case of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Thomas Toughill (The History Press, 2007) -
The Family and Residences of Arthur Conan Doyle
by Philip Bergem (privately published, 2007) -
Conan Doyle and the Parson's Son: The George Edalji Case
by Gordon Weaver (Vanguard Press, 2006) -
The Conan Doyle Crowborough Walk
by Brian W. Pugh (privately published, 2005) -
Buzzin In Sussex: An Investigation Into The Connections of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, His Family And Sherlock Holmes
by Brian W. Pugh (privately published, 2005) -
The True Crime Files of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Stephen Hines (Berkley Trade, 2003) -
Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle
by Massimo Polidoro (Prometheus, 2001) -
The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Statue At Crowborough
by Brian W. Pugh (privately published, 2001) -
Arthur Conan Doyle and the Meaning of Masculinity
by Diana Barsham (Ashgate, 2000) -
Arthur Conan Doyle
by Judith Peacock -
Conan Doyle: Holmes-SF-Spiritualism
by Mikio Kawamura (Kodansha, 1999) -
The Mysterious Case of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Cynthia Adams (Morgan Reynolds, 1999) -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the Cinema
Scott Allen Nollen (McFarland, 1996) -
Oscar Slater: The Mystery Solved
by Thomas Toughill (Canongate Books, 1994) -
Recollections of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, by Residents of Crowborough
by Malcolm Payne & Philip Weller (privately published, 1993) -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Interviews and Recollections
by Harold Orel (Palgrave Macmillan, 1991) -
The Casebook of Sherlock Doyle: True Mysteries Investigated by Conan Doyle
by Harry Stone (Carroll Graf, 1991) -
The Case of the Cottingley Fairies
by Joe Cooper (Robert Hale, 1990) -
Conan Doyle and the Spirits: the Spiritualist Career of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Kevin I. Jones (Aquarian Press, 1989) -
The Quest for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Thirteen Biographers in Search of a Life
by Jon L. Lellenberg (Southern Illinois University Press, 1987) -
Letters to the Press
by Arthur Conan Doyle (Secker Warburg, 1986) -
Adventuring in England with Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle
by Alvin E. Rodin & Jack D. Key (Key Rod Literary, 1986) -
Medical Casebook of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle
by Alvin E. Rodin and Jack D. Key (Robert E. Krieger, 1984) -
A Bibliography of A. Conan Doyle
by Richard Lancelyn Green & John M. Gibson (Soho, 1983) -
Essays on Photography
by Arthur Conan Doyle (Secker Warburg, 1982) -
Journal of a Quest for the Elusive Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle
by Alvin E. Rodin & Jack D. Key (Davies Printing, 1982) -
Arthur Conan Doyle on Sherlock Holmes: speeches at the Stoll Convention dinner
(The Favil Press, 1981) -
The Doyle Diary
by Michael Baker (Paddington Press, 1978) -
Sherlock Holmes and his Creator
by Trevor H. Hall (St. Martin's Press, 1978) -
Jack London, Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Dale L. Walker (Alvin S. Fick, 1974) -
Houdini and Doyle; The Story of a Strange Friendship
by Bernard M. L. Ernst & Hereward Carrington (Albert C. Boni, 1932) -
The Edge of the Unknown
by Arthur Conan Doyle (John Murray, 1929)