DOYLE

doyle, sir arthur conan (1859- ), english novelist, eldest son of the artist charles doyle, was born on the 22nd of may 1859. he was sent to stonyhurst college, and further pursued his education in germany, and at edinburgh university where he graduated m.b. in 1881 and m.d. in 1885. he had begun to practise as a doctor in southsea when he published _a study in scarlet_ in 1887. _micah clarke_ (1888), a tale of monmouth's rebellion, _the sign of four_ (1889), and _the white company_ (1891), a romance of du guesclin's time, followed. in _rodney stone_ (1896) he drew an admirable sketch of the prince regent; and he collected a popular series of stories of the napoleonic wars in _the exploits of brigadier gerard_ (1896). in 1891 he attained immense popularity by _the adventures of sherlock holmes_, which first appeared in _the strand magazine_. these ingenious stories of the success of the imperturbable sherlock holmes, who had made his first appearance in _a study in scarlet_ (1887), in detecting crime and disentangling mystery, found a host of imitators. the novelist himself returned to his hero in _the memoirs of sherlock holmes_ (1893), _the hound of the baskervilles_ (1902), and _the return of sherlock holmes_ (1905). his later books include numerous novels; plays, _the story of waterloo_ (1894), in which sir henry irving played the leading part, _the fires of fate_ (1909), and _the house of temperley_ (1909); and two books in defence of the british army in south africa--_the great boer war_ (1900) and _the war in south africa; its causes and conduct_ (1902). dr conan doyle served as registrar of the langman field hospital in south africa, and was knighted in 1902.