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).
Biographies
The Real Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By Andrew Norman
White Owl
2023
192 pages
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A modern biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, presenting the man behind Sherlock Holmes through his medical career, literary success, public causes, family life, and spiritualist convictions. This edition is a later reissue of Norman's earlier biography.
Arthur Conan Doyle
By François Rivière
Tallandier
2023
240 pages
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A French biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, tracing his life, literary career, relationship with Sherlock Holmes, and public commitments. The book presents Conan Doyle for a French readership as both a major popular writer and a complex public figure.
Arthur Conan Doyle : Médecin, Écrivain et Spirite
By Béatrice Balti
Complicités
2021
302 pages
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A French biography focusing on the three major dimensions of Conan Doyle's life: his medical training, his literary career, and his commitment to spiritualism. The book offers a compact portrait of Conan Doyle beyond Sherlock Holmes.
Arthur Conan Doyle
By Eduardo Caamaño
Almuzara
2019
640 pages
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A Spanish biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, covering his life, writings, fame as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and broader interests. It presents Conan Doyle's career and personality for a Spanish-speaking readership.
Arthur & Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes
By Michael Sims
Bloomsbury
2017
256 pages
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A biographical study of the young Arthur Conan Doyle and the creation of Sherlock Holmes. Michael Sims explores Conan Doyle's medical training, literary ambitions, early life, and the influences that led to the birth of the detective.
The Man Who Would Be Sherlock
By Christopher Sandford
The History Press
2017
320 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle that examines the close relationship between the author and his most famous creation. The book presents Conan Doyle's life, personality, public image, and the Sherlock Holmes phenomenon that both made and overshadowed him.
No Better Place
By Alistair Duncan
MX Publishing
2015
440 pages
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A biographical study of Conan Doyle's later years, covering the period from 1907 to 1930. It focuses on the final phase of his life, including public causes, family matters, spiritualism, and his changing reputation.
Conan Doyle contre Sherlock Holmes
By Emmanuel Le Bret
Du Moment
2012
204 pages
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A French biographical study of the difficult relationship between Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. The book explores how the success of Holmes shaped, limited, and sometimes frustrated Conan Doyle's wider ambitions as a writer and public figure.
An Entirely New Country
By Alistair Duncan
MX Publishing
2011
320 pages
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A biographical study of Arthur Conan Doyle between 1897 and 1907, covering a decisive period in his personal life, literary career, public reputation, and transition into new causes and interests.
The Life and Times of Arthur Conan Doyle
By Golgotha Press
Golgotha Press
2011
28 pages
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A very short introductory biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, giving a compact overview of his life, works, and legacy. It is a brief popular introduction rather than a full scholarly biography.
Arthur Conan Doyle: The Man Behind Sherlock Holmes
By Andrew Norman
The History Press
2010
192 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle examining his life beyond the fame of Sherlock Holmes. Andrew Norman presents Conan Doyle as doctor, writer, campaigner, family man, and spiritualist.
The Norwood Author
By Alistair Duncan
MX Publishing
2010
226 pages
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A biographical study of Conan Doyle's life from 1881 to 1894, including his early medical career, marriage, literary development, and rise to fame with the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Arthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes et au-delà
By Marianne Stjepanovic-Pauly
Éditions du Jasmin
2008
208 pages
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A French biography of Arthur Conan Doyle presenting the writer beyond Sherlock Holmes. The book highlights the diversity of his work, including detective fiction, historical novels, fantastic tales, science fiction, correspondence and essays, as well as his involvement in the political, moral and scientific life of his time.
The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle: A Biography
By Russell Miller
Thomas Dunne Books
2008
542 pages
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A full modern biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, covering his childhood, medical career, literary success, public campaigns, family life, war service, and spiritualism. Russell Miller presents Conan Doyle as a restless and adventurous figure whose life extended far beyond Sherlock Holmes.
The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes: The Life and Times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By Andrew Lycett
Free Press
2007
576 pages
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A major modern biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, placing his literary career, family life, public causes, imperial outlook, spiritualism, and relationship with Sherlock Holmes within the wider world of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain.
Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Sherlock Holmes
By Andrew Norman
Tempus
2007
192 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle emphasizing the many sides of his life beyond Sherlock Holmes, including medicine, sport, writing, politics, justice campaigns, and spiritualism.
Out of the Shadows
By Georgina Doyle
Ash Tree Press
2004
382 pages
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A family-focused biographical book devoted to Conan Doyle's first family. Written from a family perspective, it provides a more personal view of Conan Doyle's domestic life and relationships.
Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Baker Street
By Janet B. Pascal
Oxford University Press
2000
160 pages
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A concise biography of Arthur Conan Doyle for younger or general readers. It introduces Conan Doyle's life, the creation of Sherlock Holmes, and the wider range of his work and interests beyond Baker Street.
Arthur Conan Doyle: A Brief Portrait
By Pat Moore
Lilburne Press
1999
24 pages
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A short illustrated biographical booklet on Arthur Conan Doyle, giving a compact portrait of the author, his life, and his connection with Sherlock Holmes.
Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle
By Daniel Stashower
Henry Holt and Co.
1999
496 pages
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A major biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, presenting him as a prolific storyteller, public figure, campaigner, sportsman, family man, and spiritualist. Daniel Stashower gives particular attention to the breadth of Conan Doyle's writing life beyond Sherlock Holmes.
The Mysterious Case of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By Cynthia Adams
Morgan Reynolds Publishing
1999
112 pages
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A short illustrated biography of Arthur Conan Doyle published in the World Writers series. The book introduces Conan Doyle's life, literary career, and reputation for younger or general readers, with attention to the creation of Sherlock Holmes and the author's place among writers of imaginative fiction.
The Doctor, the Detective and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: A Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By Martin Booth
Hodder & Stoughton
1997
372 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle that connects his medical training, his creation of Sherlock Holmes, and the wider events of his life. Martin Booth presents Conan Doyle as both doctor and writer, with Holmes as only one part of a larger career.
Conan Doyle
By Michael Coren
Bloomsbury
1995
214 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle covering his life, writings, public causes, and complex relationship with Sherlock Holmes. Michael Coren presents Conan Doyle as a vigorous and often contradictory Victorian and Edwardian figure.
The Real World of Sherlock Holmes
By Peter Costello
Carroll & Graf
1991
236 pages
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A biographical and historical study of the real people, places, and experiences behind Sherlock Holmes. The book connects Conan Doyle's life and influences with the origins and world of the detective stories.
Arthur Conan Doyle
By James McCearney
La Table Ronde
1988
372 pages
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A French biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, presenting his life, literary career, public activities, and the enduring importance of Sherlock Holmes in his reputation.
Arthur Conan Doyle
By Jacqueline Jaffe
Twayne Publishers
1987
148 pages
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A compact critical-biographical study of Arthur Conan Doyle, published in Twayne's author series. It introduces Conan Doyle's life, major works, and literary significance for students and general readers.
The Quest for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Thirteen Biographers in Search of a Life
By Jon L. Lellenberg
Southern Illinois University Press
1987
240 pages
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This book argues that Arthur Conan Doyle remains an elusive biographical subject because he deliberately obscured aspects of his life and restricted access to key evidence, leading contributors from various scholarly backgrounds to examine the shortcomings, biases, and gaps in previous biographies. By reassessing earlier biographical efforts and identifying promising directions for future research, the contributors both critique the existing scholarship and construct a more nuanced portrait of Conan Doyle while emphasizing how much work remains to be done.
A Study in Southsea: From Bush Villas to Baker Street. The Unrevealed Life of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle
By Geoffrey Stavert
Milestone Publications
1987
192 pages
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A biographical study of Conan Doyle's Southsea years, covering the period from 1882 to 1896. The book focuses on his medical practice, local life, and early literary career leading to Sherlock Holmes.
Welcome to America
By Christopher Redmond
Simon & Pierre
1987
240 pages
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A biographical study of Conan Doyle's 1894 visit to America. The book documents an important episode in his public career and his reception abroad.
Arthur Conan Doyle
By Don Richard Cox
Frederick Ungar Publishing
1985
252 pages
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A concise biographical and critical introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle, presenting his life, literary career, and major works for general readers and students.
The Quest for Sherlock Holmes
By Owen Dudley Edwards
Mainstream Publishing
1983
380 pages
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A biographical and literary study of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, examining the author, the detective, and the cultural meanings of the Holmes stories. The book combines biography, interpretation, and Sherlockian scholarship.
Conan Doyle: Portrait of an Artist
By Julian Symons
Whizzard Press
1979
138 pages
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A literary biography of Arthur Conan Doyle by Julian Symons, presenting Conan Doyle as an artist and storyteller rather than only as the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
Conan Doyle: A Biographical Solution
By Ronald Pearsall
St. Martin's Press
1977
208 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle that attempts to interpret the contradictions of his life, career, personality, and beliefs through a biographical reading of the author and his works.
The Adventures of Conan Doyle: The Life of the Creator of Sherlock Holmes
By Charles Higham
W. W. Norton & Co.
1976
372 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle presenting his life as a sequence of adventures: medicine, writing, fame, war, public campaigns, family life, and spiritualism.
Conan Doyle: A Biography of the Creator of Sherlock Holmes
By Ivor Brown
Hamish Hamilton
1972
146 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle by Ivor Brown, covering the author's life and career with particular attention to the creation and burden of Sherlock Holmes.
The Man Who Hated Sherlock Holmes: A Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By James P. Wood
Pantheon Books
1965
180 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle emphasizing the tension between the author and his most famous creation. The title reflects the familiar idea that Conan Doyle's wider ambitions were overshadowed by Sherlock Holmes.
The Real Sherlock Holmes
By Mary Hoehling
Julian Messner
1965
192 pages
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A biographical study exploring the real-life background behind Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle's detective fiction. The book connects Conan Doyle's life and influences with the creation of Holmes.
Conan Doyle: A Biography
By Pierre Nordon
Marcel Didier; English edition published later
1964; English edition, 1967
370 pages
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A major French biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, later published in English. Pierre Nordon studies Conan Doyle's life, works, ideas, and public role, presenting him as a writer whose career extended well beyond Sherlock Holmes.
The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes
By Michael Hardwick and Mollie Hardwick
John Murray
1964
92 pages
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A biography of Arthur Conan Doyle with particular attention to his relationship with Sherlock Holmes. The book presents Conan Doyle's life through the fame and influence of his detective creation.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Centenary 1859-1959
By Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr
John Murray
1959
136 pages
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A centenary biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, written by his son Adrian Conan Doyle with John Dickson Carr. It offers a family-linked portrait of Conan Doyle on the hundredth anniversary of his birth.
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By John Dickson Carr
John Murray
1949
320 pages
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A full biography of Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr, written with access to family material and long regarded as one of the major early biographies of Conan Doyle. [all editions].
The True Conan Doyle
By Adrian Conan Doyle
John Murray
1945
[number of pages to verify]
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A biographical portrait of Arthur Conan Doyle by his son Adrian Conan Doyle. The book offers a family perspective on Conan Doyle's character, beliefs, work, and private life.
Conan Doyle: His Life and Art
By Hesketh Pearson
Methuen & Co.
1943
194 pages
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A literary biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, combining the story of his life with an assessment of his art as a writer. Hesketh Pearson presents Conan Doyle as a major popular storyteller and public figure.
Arthur Conan Doyle: A Memoir
By Rev. John Lamond
John Murray
1931
304 pages
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An early memoir of Arthur Conan Doyle by Rev. John Lamond, published shortly after Conan Doyle's death. The book presents a personal and sympathetic account of Conan Doyle's life, character, and spiritualist convictions.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Liv och Minnen
By Viktor Olsson
Världslitteraturens Förlag
1930
192 pages]
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A Swedish biographical book on Arthur Conan Doyle, published in the year of his death. It presents Conan Doyle's life and memories for a Swedish readership.
Autobiographical Works
Dangerous Work: Diary of an Arctic Adventure
By Arthur Conan Doyle
Edited by Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower
British Library
2012
368 pages
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Dangerous Work publishes Arthur Conan Doyle's diary of his 1880 Arctic voyage as ship's surgeon aboard the whaler Hope. The volume presents a vivid first-hand account of Conan Doyle as a young man before his literary fame, with editorial material placing the diary in the context of his early life, medical training, and later writing career.
Our African Winter
By Arthur Conan Doyle
John Murray
1929
290 pages
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Our African Winter is Conan Doyle's account of his journey to Africa in the late 1920s. Written near the end of his life, the book combines travel narrative, personal observation, public commentary, and autobiographical reflection.
Our Second American Adventure
By Arthur Conan Doyle
Hodder & Stoughton
1924
250 pages
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Our Second American Adventure is Conan Doyle's account of his second American lecture tour. The book records his travels, meetings, impressions, and spiritualist mission, making it an important autobiographical travel work from the later part of his life.
Memories and Adventures
By Arthur Conan Doyle
The Strand Magazine; later book editions
1923-1924
408 pages
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Memories and Adventures is Arthur Conan Doyle's autobiography. First serialized in The Strand Magazine, it recounts his childhood, medical career, literary beginnings, creation of Sherlock Holmes, travels, public causes, war experiences, and spiritualist beliefs in his own words.
Our American Adventure
By Arthur Conan Doyle
Lloyd's Sunday News
1922
206 pages
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Our American Adventure is Conan Doyle's account of his American lecture tour. The work combines travel writing, personal reminiscence, observations on America, and spiritualist advocacy, documenting an important episode in his public life.
Juvenilia
By Arthur Conan Doyle
in My First Book (anthology, Chatto & Windus)
1894
300 pages
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Juvenilia is an autobiographical piece concerning Conan Doyle's youth and early literary beginnings. Although much shorter and more limited in scope than his later autobiography, it's a self-portrait of the author's formative years.
