Published in 1902, âThe War in South Africaâ is Sir Arthur Conan Doyleâs account of the Boer War. Keen to play his part, Doyle enlisted as a doctor after being turned down by the Imperial Yeomanry. Naturally skewed towards British interests and beliefs of the time, it is an account which wholly overlooks the atrocities committed by the British, and so is a less than accurate reflection of the war. A historical eyewitness account from one of the best known authors of the time.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a British author, best known as the creator of the world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Born in Edinburgh, he was educated in England and Austria before studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh. It was during his time at university that Doyle began writing short stories, submitting them to magazines and journals. His first Sherlock Holmes novel, âA Study in Scarletâ was written in just three weeks and published in 1887 to favourable reviews, and more Sherlock adventures followed. By 1893, Doyle was growing tired of Sherlock and attempted to kill him off in the story âThe Final Problemâ, but public outcry caused him to resurrect the famous detective. He featured in a total of 56 short stories and four novels along with his trusty sidekick Dr Watson and made Doyle one of the best-paid authors of the time. The stories have been adapted multiple times; most recently in the successful BBC series âSherlockâ starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Later literary works included the Professor Challenger series which began with âThe Lost Worldâ, in which Challenger sets out to find evidence of prehistoric life. The book inspired numerous adaptations, including the films âJurassic Parkâ and âThe Lost Worldâ. In later life Doyle became captivated by the world of spiritualism and the occult and published non-fiction works about his beliefs including âThe Coming of the Fairiesâ. Arthur Conan Doyle died at home in 1930.