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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Gyles Brandreth chooses Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. With Matthew Parris and Andrew Lycett. From 2013.

Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth nominates Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as his "Great Life". Matthew Parris chairs, assisted by biographer Andrew Lycett.

Conan Doyle is best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. This always irritated him, and he tried to kill off the great detective, only to bring him back by popular demand. But there was more to Conan Doyle than Holmes. A footballer, cricketer, skier,, a campaigner against the Belgian atrocities in the Congo, and most startlingly, a convinced spiritualist who believed in fairies.

The paradox of Conan Doyle's life was that, having invented the most rational, cerebral fictional character of all time, he himself embraced superstition and behaved in ways that caused even his allies to despair of his credulity.

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30 minutes

Last on

Fri 19 Jul 2019 00:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matthew Parris
Presenter Matthew Parris
Interviewed Guest Gyles Brandreth
Interviewed Guest Gyles Brandreth
Interviewed Guest Andrew Lycett
Interviewed Guest Andrew Lycett
Producer Jolyon Jenkins
Producer Jolyon Jenkins

Broadcasts

  • Tue 30 Apr 2013 16:30
  • Fri 3 May 2013 23:00
  • Thu 18 Jul 2019 18:30
  • Fri 19 Jul 2019 00:30

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