Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was a prolific writer proficient in a number of genres. He authored historical works - Micah Clarke, The White Company, and The Great Shadow to name a few - and more than 100 short stories unrelated to Sherlock Holmes. He also wrote an operetta, the Professor Challenger and Captain Sharkey stories, three volumes of poetry, fifteen nonfiction books, and numerous newspaper articles calling attention to the plight of the less fortunate. And when this immensely talented man wasn't writing, he played cricket, rugby, or golf, sharpened his already impressive photographic skills, or crusaded for social justice. Here, in this essay by award-winning journalist Robert Wernick, is his extraordinary story.