Tag Archives: sherlock holmes

Success Stories

Fourth and final Sherlock Holmes book published on this day in 1915

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

On this day in 1915, the fourth (and final) Sherlock Holmes book The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle was first published as a novel.  The story was first published as a serial in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915.  Legend has it that the story is based on the “real-life exploits of the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland.”  One of the unique things about this novel is that – like Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, a Study in Scarlet – there is quite a bit of “omniscient narration;” exposition that recalls story events that are unknown to Holmes or Watson.

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Inspiration

Arthur Conan Doyle: 19 things you didn’t know

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Rachel Ward has written about Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle in the Telegraph.  I did know that one of his middle names was Ignatius, so I guess there were only 18 things I didn’t know about the knight.

From the article:

1. Doyle was one of the earliest motorists in Britain
He reportedly bought a car without ever having driven one before. In 1911, he took part in the Prince Henry Tour, an international road competition organised by Prince Henry of Prussia to pit British cars against German ones. Doyle paired up with his second wife, Jean, as one of the British driving teams.

2. Conan is not part of his surname
It is, in fact, only one of his two middle names. He is Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle. Shortly after he graduated from high school he began using Conan as part of his surname

In 1902, the writer was knighted by King Edward VII. He was also appointed a Deputy-Lieutenant of Surrey. However, he wasn’t knighted for having created Sherlock Holmes. He was made a knight for his work on a non-fiction pamphlet regarding the Boer War.

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General

Happy Birthday, Sherlock Holmes

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

On this date in 1854 Sherlock Holmes was born.

One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes was a “London-based consulting detective whose abilities border on the fantastic.” Mr. Holmes was famous for his logic, reasoning, and forensic science skills.

All but four of the Sherlock Holmes stories were narrated by Dr. John Watson; of the four that weren’t, two were narrated by Holmes, and two were written in the third person.

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