Since Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the 1887 novel "A Study in Scarlet", he has taken on a life of his own. But despite thousands of portrayals over the past one hundred years in books, on stage, in films and television, and most recently in video-game adaptations, what do we know about the great detective? Who was he and where did he come from? Holmes remains an enigma, an unsolvable mystery; his original life contained in fifty-six short stories and four novels. His creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was a celebrity figure during his own lifetime. ... This book chronicles the life and times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes -- the famous writer and his brilliant creations. In the process, Charlotte Montague reveals two great men whose lives are forever twisted together in history. One man is strikingly real and powerful, while the other is fictional, but destined to long outlive his creator. -- Cover, page [4]