Short History Of... Arthur Conan Doyle
Jun 29, 2025
Richard Pooley, the step-great-grandson of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and custodian of the Conan Doyle Estate, takes us through the multifaceted life of his ancestor. They discuss how Doyle transformed from a struggling ship's surgeon into the creator of Sherlock Holmes, blending science with storytelling. Pooley reveals the internal conflict Doyle faced after killing off Holmes and explores Doyle's passionate pursuits of justice and spiritualism. The conversation captures a man driven by curiosity, grappling with fame, grief, and the supernatural.
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Inspiration Behind Sherlock Holmes
- Arthur Conan Doyle drew inspiration for Sherlock Holmes from Dr. Joseph Bell, who used observation and logic to diagnose patients without questions.
- Doyle witnessed Bell's deductive brilliance firsthand in Edinburgh Medical School's lecture theater.
Arctic Voyage Shaped Doyle
- Doyle spent seven months as ship's surgeon on a whaling vessel in the Arctic, gaining formative life experiences.
- He credited this brutal, adventurous journey as the moment he 'became a man.'
Crafting a Logical Detective
- Doyle invented Sherlock Holmes to change detective fiction by emphasizing logic and deduction over intuition and luck.
- Holmes was based on Dr. Joseph Bell and refined through other contemporaneous influences.
